“But the reasons against going to New Orleans--that spicy southern city known for jazz and Mardi Gras and hospitality--were the very reasons we had to go.”

“Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue in New Orleans on Mardi Gras = bad idea!”

“That was the point of Mardi Gras, was it not? To serve and honor all the people, to bring into hard lives a touch of royalty and grandeur....To put on a spectacle such as this, free of charge, was an honor. New Orleans was sick and wounded, but no other city in the world had a celebration quite like this. It was beautiful precisely because it was so frivolous.”

“She was a full lipped and hipped italian tomato with Rome burning in her eyes. She had the look of a carnival in Rio, or Mardi Gras in New Orleans, or bullfights in Spain, or Saturday night in my apartment.”

“Mardi Gras, baby. Mardi Gras. Time when all manner of weird shit cuts loose and parties down.”

“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.”