Deception Point

by Dan Brown

William Pickering made no bones about his view of politicians as transitory figureheads who passed fleetingly across a chessboard whose real players were men like Pickering himself—seasoned “lifers” who had been around long enough to understand the game with some perspective.

Although some of the motives were security, certainly another incentive was to gain a negotiating edge through raw intimidation.

They attempt the impossible, accept failure, and then go back to the drawing board while the rest of us stand back and criticize.”

Few outsiders knew that during times of peace, the eagle faced left—toward the olive branch. But in times of war, the eagle mysteriously faced right—toward the arrows.

It was late winter in the Arctic—a time of perpetual darkness. Rachel realized she was flying into a land of permanent night. As the minutes passed, the sun faded entirely, dropping below the horizon. They continued north, and a brilliant three-quarter moon appeared, hanging white in the crystalline glacial air.

Issues of dollars and cents would fade away as petty, overshadowed by this monumental moment.

all challenges can be overcome by speaking the truth, no matter how it comes out.

“Don’t worry. This ice is three hundred feet thick, with two hundred of those feet floating below the water like an ice cube in a glass. Makes the shelf very stable. You could build a skyscraper on this thing.”

His touch had a tender strength, and their fingers intertwined so naturally that Rachel felt like they’d done this for a lifetime.

“Iactura paucorum serva multos.” He could see she recognized the words—almost a cliché in national security circles. Sacrifice the few to save the many.

Life is filled with difficult decisions, he thought. And winners are those who make them.

Sexton and his drive

“There’s just no substitute for the truth.”

“Is this supposed to be another turn-on?” “I’m rusty on the romance. Can you grade me on effort?”