There will be no war, but in the pursuit of principle no stone will be left standing. - John le Carré

I honestly do wonder, without wishing to be morbid, how I reached this present pass. So far as I can ever remember of my youth, I chose the secret road because it seemed to lead straightest and furthest toward my... goal... Today, all I know is that I have learned to interpret the whole of life in terms of conspiracy... These people terrify me, but I am one of them. If they stab me in the back, then at least that is the judgement of my peers.

He hated to be alone, but people bored him. Being alone was like being tired, but unable to sleep.

When a problem threatens to engulf you, there's nothing like irrelevant detail to keep your head above water.