The Mortal Word Quotes
"I’m not making demands. I’m informing you that I have orders to report to my superiors."
"Luck is all very well, but I would rather have some facts."
"Do not attempt innocence, madam. It doesn’t suit you."
"I want the truth. I may need a cover-up. The two are different things."
"If you are trying to force my hand, you have succeeded."
"Rest assured that he’ll be safe in my keeping."
"You must be the Librarian who goes by the name of Irene Winters."
"No," Kostchei muttered, "but they’ll damn well regret it if they don’t go ahead and get the job done anyhow."
"You’re supposed to be good at this sort of thing."
"Ideally it’ll turn out to have been a murder for some private motive."
"Prutkov! You said you’d been getting the witness statements, boy?"
"You can take Mr. Vale there after you’ve seen Ao Ji."
"Investigate murder. Find murderer. Find acceptable solution."
"It’s just that certain vocabulary is commonly used in these cases."
"I regret that we have displeased Your Majesty."
"Trust, but verify. It’s a sensible principle to live by."
"The question now, of course, is what we do about it."
"We select for obsessive tendencies and high levels of skill."
"We can use this opportunity, Irene. We can use them."
"Remember what all this is for. Remember what’s at stake."
"I’m cautious. I’ve always found it a good strategy."
"Don’t denigrate yourself, Winters. You are absolutely vital to this situation."
"The bubble of liquid was for a moment the only sound in the room."
"Peace is at best a brief interlude between hostilities."
"I am prepared to negotiate. But I’m being quite honest here when I tell you that I don’t know what the information is."
"I trust you won’t be forcing your attentions on Winters."
"We’re a team. We’re here to find out the truth."
"I’ll overlook your private discussion about this fact with me, if you’ll overlook Kai’s presence while we thrash this out. Deal?"
"Don't waste time arguing against the impossible; accept it and find a solution."
"We do unfortunately live in a world of politics."
"I'm sure there have been times when you've held back from immediate prosecution in order to confirm the full facts of a case."
"I assure you he could, my little mouse, without a second thought."
"I have no intention of complicating matters even further."
"Automatic mistrust is a luxury we can no longer afford."
"You’re wasting your time, Lord Silver. It’s quite obvious what choice Winters will make. We will be left to the mercy of this common or garden psychopath."
"My talents lie in a different direction. You may ask Miss Winters for further details. And the Countess already had firm control over everyone she’d allowed down there."
"She was more powerful than any of us. I still don’t understand how Miss Winters managed to do whatever it was she did."
"I can’t call the earth to help me so close to that creature."
"You know we can be trusted. Actually, he double-crossed me and stole from my personal collection."
"No, you’re wrong, your ladyship, and do you know why? Mu Dan has the power here, she has all the power she needs."
"This is not the sort of story where anyone comes to help you, maiden. This is my story. This is my domain. You are a victim here!"
"I understand, your ladyship. But you still haven’t explained how you found out about these potential victims in the first place."
"Gas leak. The theatre must be evacuated at once."
"I care about him, yes. I care about a great many people. I care about my parents, who are hostages for the sake of these negotiations. I care about the Library. I care about all Paris outside these walls!"
"I don’t want consequences, full stop. Give me a way out of this and I’ll take it."
"The universe bent itself around them in an attempt to make their lives more convenient."
"She was aching all over, half-frozen, and her Library brand throbbed with her pulse."
"I’m sorry. Whatever happens, I think this is going to be messy."
"I will do my best to serve the Library in this position."