Personal

Lee Child

"He had a choice," I said. "He could have spent his days helping old ladies across the street. He could have volunteered in the library. I expect they have a library here. He could have raised funds for Africa, or wherever they need funds these days. He could have done a whole lot of good things. But he didn’t. He chose not to. He chose to spend his days extorting money and hurting people. Then finally he opened the wrong door, and what came out at him was his problem, not mine. Plus he was useless. A waste of good food. Too stupid to live."

"Stupidity isn’t a capital crime. And there’s no death penalty here, anyway."

"There is now."

---

"Jesus Christ."

"I don’t think so," I said. "No beard. No sandals."

---

"You’re a dead man."

"You said that already. Wishing doesn’t make it so."

---

"But also for ancient, savage reasons, because for every year humans had been modern, they had been primitive for seven hundred more, which left a residue, and by that point the back part of my brain was firmly in charge. My tribe needs you gone, pal. And you’re ugly, too. And you’re a pussy."