...he had a fascinating technique of gnawing his cigar from one corner of his mouth to the other, as if his teeth were equipped with trolley tracks, and suddenly grabbing it out and gesticulating wit it before he jammed it back.

I suppose it's part of being a good politician to be able to spot the most important men in any group without outside assistance.

There's nothing harder to stop than somebody who wants to believe a miracle.

It's all right to be disillusioned, but you can't be disillusioning.

Nobody's ever decided what success is, out here.

The thing about George Barrol is that he's always putting his own and other people's feet into things that had best be left quite free of feet.

A city where the Capitol Dome, perforated like a kitchen colander, is the symbol of how secrets are kept.