Anthony Horowitz

“We're meant to be friends but you never tell me anything.”

“The platform underneath the balloon fell on her as she was trying to escape," she explained. "She was crushed.""I'd have been disappointed too.”

“Was it fate? Was it destiny?""I think it was Alan Blunt.”

“Do you realise how much trouble you're in?""Perhaps I'll have some Weetabix after all.”

“I didn't set fire to the building.""No, but you did pull it into the river.""That put the fire out!”

“You must have been going very fast.""I was, until I hit the fence.”

“I am perfectly qualified to give you an injection. You're not going to tell me you're afraid of a little prick?""I wouldn't call you that...”

“Let me ask you a question Alex. What do you think is the greatest evil on this plant today?""Is that including, or not including you?”

“He was a commander in the Russian army at a time when the Russians were our enemies and still part of the Soviet Union . This wasn't very long ago, Alex.The collapse of communism. It was only in 1989 that the Berlin Wall came down." She stopped. "I suppose none of this means very much to you.""Well, it wouldn't," Alex said. "I was only two years old.”

“Whatever you say, old boy. Just look after yourself. And whatever you do, don't swallow the gum!”

“He looked from the phone to the unconscious figure of the Salesman. "What did you do to him?" he asked."He got the wrong number," Alex said.”

“What happened?" he demanded. "I heard an explosion!""Yeah.That was me. I set the boat alight.""What?""I set fire to the boat.""But we're on the boat!""I know.”

“The CIA agent looked more dead than alive. Alex wondered if he had been hit, but there was no sign of any blood. Perhaps he was in shock.”

“Your name?"The movements of the man's mouth didn't quite match what he was saying, so seeing him speak was a bit like watching a badly dubbed film."Alex Gardiner," Alex said. "Your real name?""I just told you.""You lied. Your real name is Alex Rider.""Why ask if you think you know?”

“But then, he thought, most politicians are small and shabby, the sort of people who have been bullied at school.That's why they become politicians.”

“Strange though it is,Sarov still cares about you. He told me to leave you alone. But I think, this time, I must disobey the general. You are mine! And I intend to make you suffer...""Just talking to you makes me suffer," Alex said.”

“So it's a coincidence. Just like you said. Two rich parents with two rich kids at the same school. They're both killed in accidents. Why are you so interested?""Because I don't like coincidence," Blunt replied. "In fact, I don't believe in coincidence. Where somepeople see coincidence, I see conspiracy. That's my job.”

“There are problems and there are children. It is our aim to separate the two.”

“Alan Blunt got in touch with me and asked me to put you up here for the rest of the week, to pretend that you're my son. I have to say, you don't look anything like me.""I don't look anything like myself either," Alex said.”

“You can kiss me if you like," she said.Alex let go of her and turned away. "Thanks, Fiona," he said. "But frankly I'd prefer to kiss the horse.”

“She tried to smile sympathetically, but with her face it wasn't quite possible.”

“You're nothing if you're not special.”

“Show Holmes a drop of water and he would deduce the existence of the Atlantic. Show it to me and I would look for a tap. That was the difference between us.”

“Then why don't you go and ---- yourself.”

“Let me tell you, Alex. He's a crook. He's based here in Miami. He's a nasty piece of work.""He's mexican" Troy added.”

“A German philosopher once wrote that he who fights monsters must take care that he doesn't become one himself.”

“When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it's never good news.”

“He had tattooed all of the names of the men he had killed on his body...unfortunately he had run out of room.”

“You'd better get onto MI6. They'll be in charge of security at the airport." "Of course." Sir Graham moved toward the door. He stopped and turned around. "And what happens if you're wrong?" he inquired. "What happens if these soccer players do somehow get killed?" Kellner shrugged. "At least we'll know what we're dealing with," he said. "And they lost every single one of their games while they were in Nigeria. I'm sure we can put together another team.”

“It sometimes seemed to Alex that the whole universe was against him. Getting away from FLamingo Bay had almost killed him. It had been an exhausting struggle against time, the elements, and Drevin's firepower.And now he was going back.It was the CIA agent, Ed Shulsky, who had made it happen.Alex, you know the place. I need you to tell me where they're holding Tamara. You can give me a layout of the island. Anyway, we don't have much time. You saw for yourself. The rocket is on its way, and if what you've told me is true-"It is." Alex felt a spurt of annoyance. Why should the American doubt, even for a moment, what he said? Was it perhaps because he was only fourteen?Shulsky noticed his reaction. "I'm sorry. That was out of line. But this plan of his, Ark Angel...Washington..." He shook his head. "It's beyond anything we could have imagined. And that's why we have to take him out. Right now. We don't have time to drop you off."But you're too late," Alex argued. "Gabriel 7 has gone. What are going to do? Shoot it down?”

“Alex decided he’d had enough. He put down his knife. “All right,” he said. “You’ve made it pretty clear that you don’t want to work with me. Well, that’s fine. Because I don’t want to work with you either. And for what it’s worth, nobody would ever believe you were my mom because no mom would ever behave like you.” “Alex…,” Carver began. “Forget it! I’m going back to London. And if you’re Mr. Byrne asks why, you can tell him I didn’t like the jelly, so I went home to get some jam.”

“Statues lined the stairs and stood, dotted across the roof. But they had been brutalized by time and the weather. Some were missing arms. Many had no faces. Once they had been saints and angels. Two hundred years standing in London had turned them into cripples.”

“There's a name for people with an interest in the moon," Alex said. "They're called lunatics.”

“Believe me, It would be better if we didn't meet again. Go back to school. Go back to your life. And next time they ask you, say no. Killing is for grown-ups and you're still a child.”

“It has been the dream of very few men to rule the entire world.- Dr. Grief”

“I love to kill fish,' Sayle went on. 'But when I saw this specimen of Physalia physalis, I knew I had to capture it and keep it. You see, it reminds me of myself.''It's ninety-nine per cent water. It has no brain, no guts and no anus.' Alex had dredged up the facts from somewhere and spoken them before he knew what he was doing.”

“He had followed the trail left by a dead man. It was only now that he realized it might lead only to a grave.”

“ When are you at your most defenseless?”

“Smiling back at her, it occurs to me that I've never met a mean librarian.”

“Go to Venice. Find Scorpia. And you will find your destiny.”

“Nice day for a funeral.”

“I don't know anything!' Tim(Caleb) wailed.He'd never spoken a truer word in his life.”

“You're never too young to die.”

“If this is what you do to the winner, I'd hate to see how you treat the runner up.”

“What is this place? Hogwarts? -- Alex Rider”

“No offense, but I'd rather kiss the horse.”

“The worst time to feel alone is when you're in a crowd.”