“Where are you from, Mr. Pendergast? Can't quite place the accent.”“New Orleans.”“What a coincidence! I went there for Mardi Gras once."“How nice for you. I myself have never attended.”Ludwig paused, the smile frozen on his face, wondering how to steer the conversation onto a more pertinent topic.”

“Dr. Albert Frock: Well, how goes the gradual extinction of the human race, Lieutenant? Lt. Vincent D'Agosta: I'm doing what I can to keep it orderly.”

“You cannot stare evil in the face; it has no face. It has no body, no bones, no blood. Any attempt to describe it ends in glibness and self-delusion.”

“Launches the reader into a story of science and ancient mystery that will blow your mind: [From New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston]”

“A human being creates complexity by writing a novel on the surface of paper; a weather system creates complexity by writing waves on the surface of an ocean. What is the difference between the information carried in the words of a novel and the information carried on the waves of the sea? Listen, and the waves will speak, and someday, I tell you, you will write your thoughts on the surface of the sea.”

“What the hell was your pal Bertin demanding?” he asked. “Sipping syrup?”“It’s a cocktail he prefers when he gets, ah, overly excited.”“A cocktail?”“Of sorts. Lemon–lime soda, vodka, codeine in solution, and a Jolly Rancher candy.”“A what?”“Bertin prefers the watermelon–flavored variety.”D’Agosta shook his head. “Christ. Only in Louisiana.”“Actually, I understand the concoction originated in Houston.”

“Already up to his waist in the quaking bog, Pendergast stopped struggling and stared up at his assassin. The icy glitter in the pale gray eyes spoke more eloquently of his hatred and despair than any words he might have spoken, and it shook Esterhazy to the core.”