My purpose is not to make profits, but to keep people from being killed. Quaint, eh? But I’m one of the people I don’t want killed. - Murray Leinster

Eminent men were called on to take command and arrange suitable measures. They immediately acted as eminent men so often do; they took action to retain their eminence. Their first instinct was caution. When a man is important enough, it does not matter if he never does anything. It is only required of him that he do nothing wrong. Eminent figures all over the world prepared to do nothing wrong. They were not so concerned to do anything right.

Lane understood. Burke was one of that considerable part of humanity which enthusiastically believes in anything that’s sufficiently dramatic.

He irritably suspected himself of a tendency to make enemies unnecessarily.