The Gold that Rots Mens' Souls

Excerpts from "While Mortals Sleep"
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Jenny

• "A  man who hasn't built up a certain immunity to love through constant exposure to it," he said, "is in danger of being all but killed by love when the first exposure comes."
• "Please look at the imperfect human being God gave you to love once," she'd said to George,"and try to like me a little for what I really was, or, God willing, am. Then please, Darling, become an imperfect human being among imperfect human beings again."

The Epizootic

• ""The one-way men--designed for up only," said Breed.

        "And their one-way wives and their one-way children," said Dr. Everett.  "Dear God--" he said, going to a window and looking out over a wintry Hartford, "the prinicipal industry of this country is now dying for a living."

Girl Pool

• "My gosh," I said, "another human being."

         "You'll never know how human," she said.
         "Maybe I will," I said. "I could try."
 Tango

• I took her easily in my arms, and we tangoed together into the sitting room. "With every step," I said to her, "we betray our lower-middle-class origins and drive the stake deeper into the heart of civilization."

Money Talks

• "I don't think I'll ever feel anything again," said Rose."Nothing means anything anymore. There's too much of everything."

        "Keep breathing," said Ben. "That's the big thing for now."

• Seeing the captive maiden, remembering his own captivity, Ben understood at last that money was one big dragon, with a billion dollars for a head, and a penny on the tip of its tail. It had as many voices as there were men and women, and it captured all who were fools enough to listen to it all the time.
• "The thing about money is,"  said Ben, "you can't be polite to it. Leave something suspicious to say, and it'll say it. Leave somthing greedy to say, and it'll say it. Leave something scary to say, and it'll say it. Give it an inch, and it'll take a mile. As near as I can tell, I love you, Rose. I'd do my best to make you happy. If you love me, kiss me, and make me rich beyond my wildest dreams. Then, after that we'll steam these clams."