Mike Resnick

"“I still can’t see why you don’t aim your sights a little higher.” “Because I’m comfortable with you,” she replied. “There are lots of comfortable people in the galaxy,” he said. “Then aren’t you lucky that I haven’t found any of them yet?” Suddenly her face became serious. “Harry, if you haven’t figured out by now that money and looks aren’t important to me, what can I tell you? I’ve been lonely, and you make me feel less lonely. I’ve been an object, and you make me feel like a person. I’ve been asked to do a lot of kinky things, but you’re the very first man who ever asked me to talk to him when there was an empty bed in the next room. I have a farm I haven’t visited in six years, and suddenly you make me want to settle down there. What the hell else do you want me to say?”"

"“I take it you’ve never made love beneath a full tropical moon?” said the Madonna with a smile. “I’ve never made love beneath any moon,” he replied. “One of the drawbacks of a career in accountancy.”"

"“You make him sound like a spiteful man,” noted Bonhomme. “No,” said Suma. “Just greedy.” “Everybody’s greedy,” replied Bonhomme. He just happens to be a little more efficient at it than most of us.”"

"“Besides,” she added, “the Madonna has been very stupid.” “Oh? In what way?” “She forgot the prime axiom of a whorehouse: that there’s a difference between love and sex. Her job is dispensing sex, and instead she fell in love with the man who is rigging the Comet’s books. It was a very unprofessional thing to do.”"

"“This is survival of the fittest, Mr. Redwine.” “Or of the least moral,” he said bitterly. “It comes to the same thing in the end,” she acknowledged pleasantly."

"Crane stared at her for a moment. “I realize that people find me abrasive and demanding…” he began. “You left out tyrannical,” she noted dryly."

"“Is there anything else?” “Only that you have expressed dissatisfaction at not yet obtaining a supervisory position, and that your associates find you difficult and demanding to work with.” “That’s because I am difficult and demanding to work with,” he said, not without a trace of pride. “As for my associates, they’re a bunch of maladroits and incompetents.”"

"“You’re not irritating me, Mr. Crane,” said the Black Pearl. “You’re sure?” “Absolutely,” she replied. “I’m used to dealing with prima donnas and their over-inflated egos.”"

"“I don’t like ultimatums,” said the Black Pearl. “Then you shouldn’t force me to deliver them.”"

"At any rate, she is what one might call a voyeur with delusions of literacy."

"He had been to casinos on Deluros and a handful of other worlds, and had usually been disappointed in them. Romantic fictions and cinemas had always portrayed them as playgrounds for the very rich, whereas his experience was that the typical casino gambler had no more knowledge of taste or culture than he had of odds."

"“You didn’t really think it was funny, did you?” “I laughed, didn’t I?” responded Crane. “Insincerely.” “Well, you can’t have everything.” “No,” admitted the comedian. “But you can want everything.”"

"“Have I mentioned before that you’re a very interesting person, Mr. Crane?” “No—but I fully concur.”"

"I don’t know how to tell you this gently, Mr. Bello, but you’re yesterday’s news."

"The one thing Vainmill has in common with all governments and major corporations is that it abhors scandals."

"“He was a very dangerous man.” “He was a very brilliant man.” “I know. That’s what made him so dangerous.”"

"And, predictably, he has taken every such gesture as a sign of weakness. You can't reach an accommodation with a man like this; you have to fight him."

"“He's got to have a weakness somewhere.” “Most men do,” said Fiona, commanding the doors to open. “Even a moral man like Thomas Gold.” “I like moral men the best.” “Oh?” she said, stepping into the elevator. “Why is that?” Constantine smiled. “They always make the loudest crash when they fall.”"

"“Christina, you shouldn't say that about your brother,” said Gold. “He happens to be the most righteous man I've ever been privileged to know.” “That's just the kind of man who will commit any crime without compunction if he's convinced he's right,” said Christina."

"“That's a very small comfort, to me or to him,” said Christina bitterly. “I’m a scientist,” answered Robert apologetically. “I’m better at analyzing problems than finding comforting things to say about them.”"

"“You're almost an hour late!” continued Murray Carnegie harshly. “I’d prefer to think that everyone else was an hour early,” said Page."

"“He talked to me about my place in the organization.” “And?” “As long as I ask his permission every time I feel like inhaling or exhaling, I'm sure we'll get along just fine.”"

"She smiled. “Well, you wanted to be a scriptwriter.” “Not really,” he replied wryly. “I just wanted to be rich and famous.”"

"“Why not borrow from something more recent?” she asked. “I don't mind consciously swiping from plays that no one has ever heard of,” he replied. “But I don't want to inadvertently steal a character or a story line that might be familiar.” He smiled. “It's the difference between research and plagiarism.”"

"True representations are for libraries. Happy, exciting stories are for audiences."

"We’re going to have a murder. Audiences like a little violence with their sex and music."

"“It's a good, professional outline,” he said at last. “I am not qualified to offer subjective artistic opinions,” said Cupid. “Take my word for it. It's got songs, it's got romance, it's got laughs, it's got a happy ending, and I guarantee the audience won't have to think.” He shrugged. “It may be silly as hell, but it'll make a hundred million credits.” He paused, then shook his head sadly. “You’d think an audience would have better taste.”"

"“Sue me, but I just don't see any need to be this artsy-fartsy.” “I’m trying to create a work of art, damn it!” said Page, exasperated. “Works of art appeal to the masses, Nate; they don't hold them in contempt or try to drive them away.”"

"“It wouldn't work,” said Page. “Why?” “Because you're a machine. You're simply reporting facts, and facts have very little to do with truth.” “That is contradictory, Nate.” “Only to a machine,” replied Page."

"Man sells his soul to the devil, he spends the rest of his life trying to stockpile enough money to buy it back."

"Somewhere along the way he learned the most important lesson of all, which was that a king with no heirs had better never turn his back on anybody."

"No matter what kind of promises a man who’s looking for power makes, he’s not going to turn out to be any different from the one he replaces."

"“You never did tell me why you became a bounty hunter.” “I’d been a terrorist for twelve years. The only thing I knew how to do really well was kill people.”"

"“You must have been a very serious young man.” “Actually, I used to laugh a lot more than I do now.” He shrugged. “That was when I thought one moral man could make a difference. The only thing I find really funny these days is the fact that so many people still believe it.”"

"“Did you find God, or did you buy Him off?” “It’s all a matter of viewpoint,” answered Socrates. “I contribute thousands of credits to His churches and sing His praises every morning, and He pretty much protects me and helps take care of business. It’s a mutually nourishing relationship.”"

"“You know,” he said unhappily, “I never did like you much. You were always too ambitious, always scheming and plotting.” “Why should I deny it?” she said calmly. “I’ll only add that it’s people like you who made it easy.” “What’ll you do when you finally get to the top, and there are no more bodies to climb over?” “Mostly, I’ll enjoy it,” she replied."

"“Have you ever done anything, even once, with no thought of a return?” he asked. “Yes.” “How old were you? Six?” “Younger. And I immediately decided that there was no percentage in it.”"

"I may die unmourned, but I sure as hell don’t plan to die unavenged."

"“He does it because he wants to.” “Then I was right the first time,” she said decisively. “He’s a fool.” “For doing something that makes him happy?” “For giving it away for free.” “Maybe he’s got enough money,” suggested the Swagman. She turned and stared at him. “Do you know anyone who’s got enough money?” The Swagman smiled. “Maybe he’s a fool,” he said at last."

"You have many wonderful qualities, Virtue—you lie and cheat and blackmail and bluff with great panache, and you’re thoroughly delightful in bed—but you simply aren’t a skilled professional killer."

"“I also destroyed a man who was in serious need of destruction,” replied Cain. “On the whole, I’d say the ledger came out on the plus side.” “There wasn’t even any paper on Socrates.” “Then view killing him as a service to humanity.” “I wasn’t aware that you were in the philanthropy business,” said the Swagman. “There are more important things than money,” said Cain. “True—but all of them cost money.”"

"“Kabalka Five? That’s an alien world, isn’t it?” “It doesn’t take aliens long to find out what men will do for gold,” she replied."

"“This is a grim business. There’s nothing romantic about harassing an overwhelming power with no hope of winning.” “If he knows he can’t win, why does he do it?” “To avoid losing.” “That sounds profound, but it doesn’t make a hell of a lot of sense,” said Cain."

"“Does might make right?” she asked. Cain shrugged. “No. But it makes it pretty difficult for anyone to tell you you’re wrong.”"

"“You’ve got quite a library. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many books in one place before.” “I like the heft and feel of a book,” replied Santiago. “Computer libraries are filled with electrical impulses. Books are filled with words.”"

"“Let me suggest that sometimes it’s not a bad idea to judge a man by his enemies.” “In your case it’s an absolute necessity,” said Cain sardonically. “I’ve met your friends.”"

"“Why are you fighting it?” “Because somebody has to.” “That’s not much of a reason.” “It’s the best reason there is,” said Santiago. “The first duty of power is to perpetuate itself. The first duty of free men is to resist it.”"

"The second you attain power, you become what you’ve been fighting against."

"“I persist in fighting because I see something that’s wrong, and the alternative to fighting is to submit.” Cain made no comment. “If you want a philosophic justification, you’ll find it in my library,” continued Santiago. “I’ve got a much simpler explanation.” “What is it?” He smiled a savage smile. “When someone pushes me, I push back.”"

"“There are no bad bounty hunters,” replied Cain. “Just good ones and dead ones.” “Why did you become a bounty hunter in the first place?” asked Jacinto. “When I realized that I wasn’t going to make the galaxy a better place to live in in one bold stroke, I decided to try doing it one small step at a time.” “Have you ever regretted it?” “Not really,” replied Cain. “We all make choices; most of us get pretty much what we deserve.”"