Skip H. reviewed on + 9 more book reviews
Witness John Le Carre's masterful take on Richard Onlsow "Dicky" Roper, the arms dealer we love to invite into our palace corridors through the backdoors of national security:
"Roper seemed not to hear. 'World's run by fear, you see. Can't sell pipe dreams, can't rule with charity, no good at all. Not in the real world. With me?' But he didn't wait to discover whether Jonathan was with him or not. 'Promise to build a chap a house, he won't believe you. Threaten to burn his place down, he'll do what you tell him. Fact of life.' He paused to double-mark time. 'If a bunch of chaps want to make war, they're not going to listen to a lot of wet-eared abolitionists. If they don't, doesn't matter whether they've got crossbows or Stingers. Fact of life. Sorry if it bothers you.'
"Roper seemed not to hear. 'World's run by fear, you see. Can't sell pipe dreams, can't rule with charity, no good at all. Not in the real world. With me?' But he didn't wait to discover whether Jonathan was with him or not. 'Promise to build a chap a house, he won't believe you. Threaten to burn his place down, he'll do what you tell him. Fact of life.' He paused to double-mark time. 'If a bunch of chaps want to make war, they're not going to listen to a lot of wet-eared abolitionists. If they don't, doesn't matter whether they've got crossbows or Stingers. Fact of life. Sorry if it bothers you.'
