Editors From The United States

"“I’ve always wanted what people told me I couldn’t have,” responded Flint. “You’ve never wanted all that much of anything. Which do you suppose is worse?”"

"“He didn’t seem to mind his people being fleeced so much after I slapped him a couple of thousand credits,” remarked Flint wryly. “I guess death and taxes aren’t the only constants in the universe.”"

"“It is the home of a very unusual race, as violent in their way as the people of Earth.” “I will assume that’s a good thing to be,” said Flint dryly. “For the purpose of this proposition, it most definitely is,” said Kargennian, ignoring Flint’s undisguised animosity. “They have a culture that worships weaponry fully as much as yours does.” “I don’t know that we actually worship it.” “Perhaps I used the wrong word,” replied Kargennian. “But the fact remains that their history and cultures are as fully committed to firearms as your own. To this day, most of them carry hand weapons, as barbaric as the concept may seem.”"

"Redwine wondered what the going price of a conscience was, but named a figure that seemed to hover just between the top end of Reasonable and the bottom of Ostentatious."

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

"He opened a desk drawer and withdrew two gaily wrapped packages. Then, standing up, he carried one over to Flint and handed the other to Tojo. “What’s this all about?” asked Flint. “I realize that we haven’t celebrated any of your holidays since leaving Earth,” explained the blue man, “but according to my calendar, today is the last Thursday in November.” “So?” “Happy Thanksgiving! said Mr. Ahasuerus, contorting his lips to form a smile. There was a momentary silence. “I’m afraid you’ve got it all wrong,” said Flint. On Thanksgiving we slaughter innocent birds and forget to abuse Indians. Christmas is when we defoliate forests and exchange gifts.”"

"“What’s your secret, Mr. Flint?” asked Jiminy with a smile. “The two greatest aphrodisiacs in the universe,” answered Flint easily. “Money and power.” He paused. “A hell of a lot of rhinos could’ve kept their horns if people had just looked at things the way they are, instead of the way they’d like them to be.”"

"“You have no moral compunctions about it?” persisted Batman. “Hell, no,” replied Monk. “As Thaddeus says, if God didn’t want them fleeced, He wouldn’t have made ’em sheep. Words to live by, once you become a carny.”"

"“You’re a very cynical man, Mr. Flint.” “That’s one of the reasons you’re on the road to becoming a very rich man, Mr. Ahasuerus.”"

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

"“Don’t worry,” said Monk. “It’ll be a cakewalk.” “Cakes don’t walk, Jupiter,” said Flint. “They fall.”"

"“Did you not ever want to see what was beyond the next hill, what strange and unique civilizations lay beyond your own?” “Until I got there,” answered Monk."

"Gloria, the world—hell, the whole damned universe—is divided into just two groups: meat eaters and meat. It has been my experience that the former never feels sorry for the latter."

"“Nothing personal,” Mr. Ahasuerus, replied Flint, “but what the hell do you know about it? Your entire experience has been with a carny crew. The next normal human you meet will be the first.”"

"The doctors told told me there would be some pain involved. Hah! When a surgeon suggest that you might feel a bit of mild discomfort, you can bet your bottom dollar you’re about to undergo the agony of the damned."

"“A very reasonable attitude,” said Mr. Ahasuerus. “That’s probably why it’s so rare around here,” said Flint."

"“I’ve revised my opinion,” he announced. “About what?” asked Mr. Ahasuerus. “About how long it’s going to take Man to conquer the galaxy once he figures out how to travel to the stars.” Flint took a long swallow of his beer and wiped his mouth off with a sweaty shirtsleeve. “I give us three weeks, tops.” He paused again. “That’s twenty days to decide whether it’s worth the effort, and one afternoon to pull it off.”"

"It was an art form, and you don’t learn to be an artist. You’re either born one, or you aren’t."

"“Procyon III does have a gravity identical to Earth’s,” said Mr. Ahasuerus apologetically. “I suspect it’s also about as heavily populated as Saskatchewan.” “I am unacquainted with that location,” said the blue man. “So is everyone else.”"

"“Maybe things are different on his world.” “As near as I can tell, there’s one basic law anywhere you go in the universe: the strong eat the weak.”"

"You don’t look at a man and decide that he’s sane at three-eighteen on a Tuesday afternoon and mad as a hatter at three-nineteen. People don’t make it that easy for you."

"“It is a world of bitter extremes of climate and a totalitarian theocracy.” “That he believes in,” said Thaddeus. “Believing in his religion makes it no less oppressive,” said Albert emotionlessly."

"Nobody reaches a position of authority without the ability to be a back-stabbing bastard when the chips are down."

"I was so average, Tojo. Even after I stopped being fat I was just an average girl with average parents and average grades and average friends. I was always afraid I was going to have an average husband and sleep with him 3.4 times a week and have 2.2 children."

"“Enough screaming and yelling!” he yells. “I expect you to behave with some decorum. After all, this is a bar, not City Hall.”"

"The mind discerns and decides, and the heart vetoes. It is a very inefficient system."

"Benny shakes his head. “This is America, Lamont,” he says. “America’s out there somewhere!” growls Lamont, waving his hand toward the door. “This is Manhattan.”"

"If nothing else, money buys you a higher class of woman."

"“He has willpower to spare,” I say. “Unfortunately, what he lacks is won’tpower.”"

"“It is an honest wager on an honest fight between two evenly-matched masters of the fistic arts,” says Pedro. “Who would have believed it?” says Benny. “Believed what?” asks Pedro. “You manage to cram five lies into an eighteen-word sentence,” answers Benny."

"“Let’s be reasonable,” suggests Bet-a-Bunch Murphy, which I personally think would make a pleasant change."

"“Is it true?” “Probably. But just for the record, is what true?”"

"He mumbles something that wouldn’t make any sense even if he was saying it clearly."

"The Carnies’ First Commandment is that you never offend a mark until he’s spent all his money."

"She is unique, even among women, who are all unique, each in their own alien way."

"“I don’t believe you.” “What you believe is of no importance to me.”"

"“There’s a possibility that I’m wrong.” “That’s the first rational thing you’ve said.”"

"“Why did you ever like him, Mouse?” asked Penelope. “I was lonely,” said the Mouse with a sigh, “and sometimes lonely people make poor choices.”"

"What this embassy needs is more killers and less bureaucrats."

"“A moral assassin,” she said with an amused smile. “Not everyone gets into this business because they like to kill people,” he replied. “Then why do you do it?” “Because I find all forms of business distasteful,” answered Chandler. “This one pays me enough so that I don’t have to work very often.”"

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

"“Look,” said Chandler. “Either we’ve got free will or we don’t. If we do, then we are doing the right thing. If we don’t, then we can’t do anything else, anyway. So what’s the point of worrying about it?” “Because we can stop right now if we decide to.” He smiled. “And how will you know that the Oracle didn’t change her mind and choose a future in which we stopped?” She wearily leaned back on the chair. “Where does it end?” “Second guessing fate?” asked Chandler. “Never. That’s why it’s a good idea not to start.”"

"“Well, it’s a practical approach,” she conceded. “But it’s not very satisfying. I think an animal in the forest might have that same viewpoint.” “I spend most of my life with the animals in the forest,” replied Chandler. “Very few of them have high blood pressure or heart attacks. Maybe they know something we don’t know.” “They don’t know anything,” said Jade. “They just react.” “They stay warm and dry and well fed,” he noted. “When all is said and done, that’s all most humans are really trying to do.”"

"“He has wealth, and fame, and security, and everything he ever wanted,” persisted Mr. Ahasuerus. “Why should he be unhappy?” “Maybe because he’s got wealth and fame and security and everything he ever wanted,” replied the Dancer."

"The only thing I’m really good at is wishing I was somewhere else."

"I’m trying to tell you that you can trust me because I’m motivated by the most basic human emotion: greed."

"We have nothing in common except our enmity."

"“Don’t ever take a job as a diplomat or a politician,” said the Iceman wryly. “I beg your pardon.” “You’re a lousy liar.”"

"Act as though it is impossible to fail"

"Talking in whispers, we passed places where the white snow had been gashed deep by shell craters, and at last we came to the front line post-of-command. The officer here greeted us in a tired voice saying we should go no further, as this forest had only yesterday been retaken from the Russians whose lines were a few hundreds yards ahead, and his men had not had time to dig safe trenches. Beyond us was no real front line but only machine gun nests, dugouts and a few shallow trenches, a place where it was not safe for any man to crawl who had not first seen the country by clear light of day. But perhaps we would like to go down into his front line command post dugout, talk to his men and see their Christmas tree."