Michael Pearce > Quotes

“She thinks they’re just incompetence. But, then, she thinks that most things that go wrong are just incompetence.”
― Michael Pearce, A Dead Man in Malta

“Does that mean the French are getting in on the act?"
"Actually, they were in on the act before we got here. That's why so much French is spoken. Their legal system, for instance, is based on the Napoleonic Code."
"You want to watch that. They could take advantage of that. You want to get them out."
"In fact, we did get them out. That's why we're here.”
― Michael Pearce, The Mark of the Pasha

“Is there anything interesting about cotton growing?" someone asked.
"Oh, a lot!" Paul answered him.
"What does it...do?"
"Do? Well it...sort of...grows."
"Like weeds?" said someone helpfully.
"Yes. No. No, not like weeds."
"Like roses, perhaps?" suggested the rose fancier.
"Yes. You could say that. Almost."
"Wouldn't it be all white, though? I mean, the flowers?"
"That doesn't sound very interesting," said someone doubtfully.
"And green," put in Paul hastily. "Green too." Paul was not much of an agriculturalist.”
― Michael Pearce, The Mark of the Pasha

“Look, Malia, I know your theory. But you can’t go round putting people’s backs up!’ ‘I certainly wouldn’t wish to do that!’ said Dr Malia. ‘Well, it annoys people, you know.’ ‘I’m sorry about that. I try not to get in the way.’ ‘Well, maybe, but – It’s just that you’re always creeping around.”
― Michael Pearce, A Dead Man in Malta

“it had to when it was accompanying a march (political) or procession (religious) both of which were frequent in Malta; and practically every route took it through some rival territory.”
― Michael Pearce, A Dead Man in Malta

“That's the mark of a good office. The people who do the work get on with it without bothering to tell the boss.”
― Michael Pearce, The Point in the Market

“You must keep active mentally as well as physically. I always try to do that.”
― Michael Pearce, A Dead Man in Malta

“he seemed as right as rain when I saw him yesterday!” And that’s what Pete and Joe said, too. Right as rain! And then I got to thinking. “That’s how he was then,” I said. “What’s in your mind, Terry?” said Pete. “If he was fit as a fiddle one day, how come he was dead as a doornail the next?”
― Michael Pearce, A Dead Man in Malta

“There were cats lying in the way but they did not move. Cats rarely moved for people in Egypt. They had to step round them. The cats merely lay there and watched them.”
― Michael Pearce, The Point in the Market

“The shop signs were in English. The beer was English. The post boxes were the traditional English red ones. If you had been transported here by magic carpet overnight, when you woke up in the morning you would not have known you were not in England. Except for the Malti. Which you didn’t hear. And which came”
― Michael Pearce, A Dead Man in Malta