The Real-Town Murders Quotes

“It's at times like this," said Pu Sto, massaging her wounded shoulder gently and grimacing, "when I'm sitting inside Shakespeare's nose about to be shot through the torso - for the second time today - by one of our government's most capable assassins, that I really wished I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.”
― Adam Roberts, The Real-Town Murders

“Walks all ass straw.’ ‘I beg your pardon?’ ‘The car. A classic. Ass-straw translates as star, I believe.”
― Adam Roberts, The Real-Town Murders

“Through the door and then another, Alma found herself at the top of some stationary stairs, like a stone sculpture of an actual stairway. Perfectly motionless. They looked – well, they looked broken. ‘What is this building,’ she asked, ‘some kind of antique?’ ‘They have certain advantages over regular stairways, these old-style models,’ said Pu, lending her arm to support Prime’s around Alma’s waist. ‘Not least they don’t log you when you travel down them. Come along.”
― Adam Roberts, The Real-Town Murders

“The White Cliffs of Dover had been sculpted all along their length into the gigantic visages of famous Brits – another attempt at injecting rebrand vibrancy into the declining real-world economy.”
― Adam Roberts, The Real-Town Murders

“Deader than a coffin nail, because a coffin nail is still performing useful work, and so in one sense is as alive as it’s ever been. Dead as hope. Dead as our financial affairs. Gone.”
― Adam Roberts, The Real-Town Murders

“I’ll have to come over,’ she told Zurndorfer. ‘What – in person?’ ‘Yes.’ Zurndorfer’s simface goggled at her. ‘I’m sorry to be dense, but, you mean physically shift yourself from over there to … you know. Here?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Well, I say, well of course. I mean. If you think that’s necessary. Is that necessary?”
― Adam Roberts, The Real-Town Murders