Home > Work > Rivers of London (Rivers of London, #1)
81 " Could it have been anyone, or was it destiny? When I'm considering this I find it helpful to quote the wisdom of my father, who once told me, "Who knows why the fuck anything happens? "
― Ben Aaronovitch , Rivers of London (Rivers of London, #1)
82 " We did an hour of practice, at the end of which I was capable of flinging a fireball down the range at the dizzying speed of a bumblebee who’d met his pollen quota and was taking a moment to enjoy the view. "
83 " Being a seasoned Londoner, Martin gave the body the "London once-over" - a quick glance to determine whether this was a drunk, a crazy or a human being in distress. The fact that it was entirely possible for someone to be all three simultaneously is why good-Samaritanism in London is considered an extreme sport - like BASE jumping or crocodile wrestling. "
84 " Conflict resolution,' said Nightingale. 'Is this what they teach at Hendon these days?''Yes, sir,' I said. 'But don't worry, they also teach us how to beat people with phone books and the ten best ways to plant evidence. "
85 " The motto of West African cooking is that if the food doesn't set fire to the tablecloth the cook is being stingy with the pepper. "
86 " Are they really gods?""I never worry about theological questions," said Nightingale. "They exist, they have power and they can breach the Queen's peace - that makes them a police matter. "
87 " I looked into the literature on this," said Nightingale, "and it wasn't very helpful.""There's a literature about this?""You'd be amazed, Constable, about what there's a literature on. "
88 " I have an idea," I said."This better not be a cunning plan," said Leslie.Nightingale looked blank, but at least it got a chuckle from Dr Walid. "
89 " If you overdo it, there are consequences.What kind of consequences?Strokes, brain hemorrhages, aneurysms...How do you know when you have overdone it?When you have a stroke, brain hemorrhage or an aneurysm. "
90 " Urban Outfitters, eh," said Beverley. "That explains the Dr Denim shirt.""My mum bought me that," I said."And you think that's less embarrassing? "
91 " Something round and dirty and white was resting near my foot. It was a skull. I picked it up.‘Is that you, Nicholas?’ I asked.‘Put that down, Peter,’ said Nightingale. ‘You don’t know where it’s been. "
92 " Was your husband upset?’ ‘How can you tell with an Englishman?’ asked Mrs Coopertown. "
93 " Despite what you think you know, most people don't want to fight, especially when evenly matched. … That's why you see those pissed young men doing the dance of "don't hold me back" while desperately hoping someone likes them enough to hold them back. "
94 " And there was a dog. That, or Skirmish had a taste for Pal Meaty Chunks in Gravy, and I didn’t think his quiet life had been quite that desperate. "
95 " Typically, a constable only sits in the Commissioner’s anteroom when he’s been very brave or very stupid, and I really couldn’t tell which one applied to me. "
96 " I asked whether this was the same agreement as the ‘agreement’, or a different agreement entirely. "
97 " Seawoll’s people would provide containment in case things went pear-shaped, while Dr Walid stood by with a mobile trauma team to help any poor bastard who had the bad luck to have their face fall off. "
98 " Mr Punch was running for his afterlife, but I was gaining. "
99 " [The bridge] looked more like a fishing pier that had got ideas above its station and crossed the river in a fit of exuberance. "
100 " Ash turned out to be a young man half a head taller than me, broad of shoulder, clear of eye, noble of brow and empty of thought. "