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Favorite Quotes from the Vicky Bliss Books
I have quotes from the individual books below, but I thought
it would be interesting to start with Vicky's and John's opposing
viewpoints on thievery.
John (Street of the Five Moons, p. 153)
- "'Oh yes, but the law is so dull, isn't it? I'm afraid
you have a very medieval idea of right and wrong. Many people
do. They still tend to punish crimes against property more severely
than crimes against people. Now I support the old Robin Hood
ideal,' Smythe said, warming to his subject. 'I honestly do not
feel that anything I have done is reprehensible. Dishonest, no
doubt, but not immoral. A simple redistribution of wealth, no
more. No widows and orphans have been deprived, no struggling
old couples have been robbed of their sole means of support,
no one has been injured...'"
-
Vicky (Street of the Five Moons, p. 198-199)
- "'It's a question of integrity,' I stuttered. 'Honesty.
Everybody lies these days, from politicians and statesmen to
the people who repair my car and my radio. Everybody has a specious
excuse for chiseling the other guy. It's got to stop somewhere.
I know the arguments, I've heard them. "If these people
weren't basically dishonest, we wouldn't be able to cheat them;
and besides, the ignorant cruds don't deserve to own beautiful
things, they can't even tell the difference between the real
and the fake." The critics have been rooked too, plenty
of times, but that is beside the point. The point is that if
you have a skill, or a talent, or a body of knowledge, you are
obliged to use it honestly, obliged to yourself! There is no
difference between a man who robs a little old lady who is living
on social security and a swindler who cheats a nasty, greedy
oil millionaire. He is still a crook. And I'm sick and tired
of crooks.'"
-
From Borrower of the Night:
- "'Oh,' I said. 'You're so sweet to little helpless me.
I don't know how to thank you. I'm just all a-twitter..."
- - Vicky, p. 172
-
- "But as I lay on the bed, smoking one cigarette after
another in reckless defiance of every health regulation..."
- - Vicky, p. 187
-
- "We must have the police. And a doctor. And on the top
of the keep, behind this place, you will find several people
who need to be transported to the Schloss. And--could
I have a drink?'"
- - Vicky, p. 229
From Street of the Five Moons:
- "He might be a fat, self-indulgent little lecher, but
he was also a fat, self-indulgent, cultivated little lecher."
- - Vicky, p. 63
-
- "'Will he kiss her or kill her?' I gasped. 'Tune in
tomorrow and hear the next - '"
- - Vicky, p. 150
-
- "There was a stream at the bottom of the hill. Naturally
we rolled into it. If there was a natural obstacle on the hillside
that we missed, I would be surprised."
- - Vicky, p. 179
-
- "'Besides it isn't fair to have a villain whom the reader
doesn't meet till the very end.'"
- - Vicky, p. 224
From Silhouette in Scarlet:
- "I didn't wonder why he was in disguise; the mere fact
that he preferred not to be noticed was reason enough to publicize
his presence. I opened my big mouth and yelled, 'Hey, John. John
Smythe! Hi, there, John.'"
- - Vicky, p. 13
-
- "I had not risked myself because I was in love with
him. I had always known John for what he was--a corrupt, unscrupulous
man with the morals of a tomcat--and I'm not referring to the
cat's sexual habits, but to its own interests ahead of everyone
else's. I didn't love that man; I didn't even like him. The one
I loved was the guy with the perverse sense of humor and the
peculiar brand of courage and the occasional streak of quixotry
and the clever, twisty mind. But that man was part of the other,
buried so deep it was hard to be certain he existed."
- - Vicky, p. 209
From Trojan Gold:
Coming soon!
From Night Train to Memphis:
Coming soon!
From The Camelot Caper (not technically part
of the series):
- "'We can't fight 'em,' yelled Mrs. Hodge, 'They've got
tommy guns. Maybe bombs.'"
- - p. 39
-
- "'An American. The accent, plus the off-the-cuff psychological
analysis of people you've just met...'"
- - David, p. 55
-
- "'She can't be drunk," Sam said firmly. 'Not on
our mead. It'sh--excuse me--non-intocshicating.'"
- - p. 116
-
- "His mother gave him a look of fond pride. 'John darling,
you mustn't joke. It was naughty of you.'"
- - p. 304
-
- "'How are you going to get the money to renovate the
place?' Jess demanded.
-
- Her cousin [John] smiled at her.
-
- 'Oh, I'll find it,' he said gently. 'Don't worry about that.'"
- - p. 307
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