“The end did not justify the means, but justifiable means that brought about a fair and necessary conclusion were not to be dismissed.”

“The silence lasted precisely five seconds, during which time eyes roamed other eyes, several throats were cleared, and no one moved in his chair. It was as if a decision were being reached without discussion: evasion was to be avoided. Congressman Efrem Walters, out of the hills of Tennessee by way of the Yale Law Review, was not to be dismissed with facile circumlocution that dealt with the esoterica of clandestine manipulations. Bullshit was out.”

“I mean, we're all trying to find out who the hell we are, aren't we?”

“Perhaps conscience did not always produce cowards. Sometimes it made a man feel better about himself.”

“Men and women walked casually about as they did on the main floor, every now and then stopping one another, exchanging pleasantries or scraps of relevantly irrelevant information. Gossip.”

“It was important to keep moving. Certain struggles continued. Others had to be brought to a close. The wisdom was in deciding which.”

“You're on your own now. You are not helpless. You will find your way.”