White Fire Quotes

“A strange, pale figure emerged—Pendergast?—and she felt herself suddenly in his arms, lifted bodily as if she were a child again, her head cradled against his chest. She felt his shoulders began to convulse, faintly, regularly, almost as if he was weeping. But that was, of course, impossible, as Pendergast would never cry.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“Carroting, you must understand, was a process by which animal fur is bathed in a solution of mercury nitrate, in order to render the hairs more supple, thus producing a superior felt.” At this last word, he threw a significant glance in my direction. “Felt,” I repeated. “You mean, for the making of hats?” “Precisely. The solution is of an orange colour, hence the term carroting. However, this process had rather severe side effects on those who worked with it, which is why its use today is much reduced. When mercury vapours are inhaled over a long enough period of time—particularly, for our purposes, in the close quarters of a hat-making operation—toxic and irreversible effects almost inevitably follow. One develops tremors of the hands; blackened teeth; slurred speech. In severe cases, dementia or outright insanity can occur. Hence the term mad as a hatter.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“An accident is only a puzzle piece that hasn’t yet found its place in the picture. A good detective collects all ‘accidents,’ no matter how insignificant.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“Shit, shit, shit…”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“It had been below zero when she began the long drive from Basalt—having refused the free room at the Hotel Sebastian, courtesy of Pendergast. She had skipped breakfast to save money, and now she was starving as well as cold.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“Someday, perhaps, you may make a good law enforcement officer or criminalist. That is why. No other reason.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“You little bitch,”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“Corrie Swanson”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“When mercury vapours are inhaled over a long enough period of time—particularly, for our purposes, in the close quarters of a hat-making operation—toxic and irreversible effects almost inevitably follow. One develops tremors of the hands; blackened teeth; slurred speech. In severe cases, dementia or outright insanity can occur. Hence the term mad as a hatter.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“Most detection is simple.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“Our modes of speech are bred in the bone, madam. We cannot escape them any more than we can the colour of our eyes.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“it was never too late for the truth.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“Do you know, I’ve always believed there’s no such thing as a moral or immoral book. Books are well written or badly written—that’s all.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“You see, between me and life there is a mist of words always.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“as corrie was about to hang up, stacy said, "i hope he shoots at my car. i've got a couple of black talon rounds just itching to explore his inner psyche.”
― Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, White Fire

“I am indeed sorry to say this, but I fear your microscopic problems do not interest me.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“Fire is often the weapon of choice for the insane.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“She felt his shoulders began to convulse, faintly, regularly, almost as if he was weeping. But that was, of course, impossible, as Pendergast would never cry.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“It is all about how human beings construct a narrative out of random events, baseless assumptions, and simple-minded prejudices.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“the shudder of fear is as sensual as the shudder of pleasure, if not more so.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“I don’t know jack about wine, sorry.” “You should learn. It is one of the true and ancient pleasures that make human existence tolerable.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“this evening.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“I prefer to sleep while the rabble are out and about.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire

“Everything he did, he did well, and as a result he was an accomplished asshole indeed.”
― Douglas Preston, White Fire