People sometimes mistake their own shortcomings for those of society and want to fix the Cities because they don’t know how to fix themselves.
Blessings of the state, blessings of the masses.
Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute! I’m protected, man. I’ve got protection.
Well, that’s true of anything if you wait long enough.
Wait, slow down. What was that about a ship?
“The outer platforms are calling it twenty-eight superdreadnoughts, Chief.” He shook his head. “And whoever they are, they sure as hell aren’t ours!”
“We’ve got company.”
“Police? How many?”
“Uh, all of them, I think.”
Someone should tell the sheriff that deadbolts don’t work as well when you leave your door open.
You might have forgotten the Sheriff of Nottingham has taken your screwdriver.
If there’s anything more important than my ego around, I want it caught and shot now."
Do you think they’re from outer space? It’s being said the government was holding them, I mean, trying to hold them, when they escaped.
No, I’m from Iowa. I only work in outer space.
“I understand we are to be privileged to view some very fine work.” Work was a word with extra resonance in Quaddiespace, he had already gathered, like honor on Barrayar.
This is a step up for you. This is your ‘end of Working Girl’ moment. There might even be a window in your future, Kara.
You wouldn’t be using your other identity to avoid talking to me?
I’m Batman.
“Who the hell are you?” he whispered.
“Just think of me as the man who will be killing you, and very soon. You’d do better to give the surroundings a good look, than to ask pointless questions. This is where your life ends, Diem. At the moment, I’d give it a ninety percent probability. If you don’t control your panic, the estimate goes to one hundred percent. And the time frame drops to seconds, instead of minutes.”
“Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!”
“Don’t mince words, Bones. What do you really think?”
“Jim, I’m your doctor, and I’m your friend. Get back your command. Get it back before you turn into part of this collection. Before you really do grow old.”
“They usually give this position to retired generals or admirals.”
“You are a retired admiral.”