Included below is a collection of quotes made by Mr. John Schuyler Moore from the Alienist books. For basic information about John Moore, a character analysis of John Moore, or character testimonials about John Moore, please use the menu.
John Schuyler Moore Quotes
She Of The Legs
The Alienist, 76:
“And speaking of purposes, who’s singing the hunchback’s daughter?”
Kreizler turned away with an expression of mild disgust. “My God, Moore, I should like to get the particulars of your infancy someday. This irrepressible sexual mania –“
“I only asked who’s singing the hunchback’s daughter!”
“All right, all right! Yes, Frances Saville, she of the legs, as you put it!”
“In that case,” I said, bouncing down the steps and toward the carriage, “I definitely have [opera] clothes.” As far as I was concerned, you could take Nellie Melba, Lillian Nordica and all the rest of the half-attractive, four-star voices at the Metropolitan and, as Stevie Taggert would have put it, go chase yourself. Give me a really beautiful girl with a decent voice and I was a docile audience member.
Not The Fighting Sort
The Alienist, 78:
“Don’t wander too far, Cyrus,” I said, trying not to betray my jitters.
“No, sir,” he answered, gripping the pommel of his horsewhip tightly. With he other hand he reached into the pocket of his greatcoat. “Perhaps you should take these, Mr. Moore.” He produced a set of brass knuckles.
“Hmm,” I noised, studying the weapon. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” Then I dropped the sham. “Besides, I wouldn’t know how to use them.”
The Soul Of Tact
The Angel of Darkness, 71:
The Doctor rose and shook each person’s hand warmly, while Mr. Moore smacked a palm against the Doctor’s back.
“Laszlo — you look like hell,” he announced, immediately making for a silver box of cigarettes that contained a nice blend of Virginia and Russian black tobaccoes.
“It’s good of you to notice, Moore,” the Doctor answered with a sigh, indicating the easy chair across from his to Miss Howard. “Sara, please.”
“As ever, John is the soul of tact,” Miss Howard said as she sat down.
John’s Sanity
The Angel of Darkness, 73:
“What brings us?” Mr. Moore made a show of innocence and shock that would’ve done any Bowery variety star proud. “Why, what should bring us? Concern. Moral support. All of that.”
“Only that?” the Doctor asked suspiciously.
“No. Not only that.” Mr. Moore turned to the piano for a moment. “Cyrus, do you think we could have something a little less funeral? I’m sure we’re all sorry that old Otello mistakenly strangled his lovely wife, but given the display Nature’s putting on outside I think we might forgo such sentiments. You wouldn’t happen to know anything less – well – stuffy, would you? After all, friends and colleagues, it’s summer!”
Cyrus answered by gently breaking into “White,” a popular song from the forties, what seemed to set Mr. Moore right up. He beamed a big grin at the Doctor, who only looked at him with some concern.
“There really are moments,” the Doctor said, “when I doubt your sanity, Moore.”
On Libby Hatch’s Manner
The Angel of Darkness, 167-8:
“So how does she manage it?” Miss Howard pressed. “What was her style, once she had you in her lair?”
“Well — I’ll just tell you this –” Mr. Moore set both the wine list and his menu aside, ready to order his food and drink but looking, despite his outwardly certain tone and manner, a trifle unsure of what he was about to say. “I know you hate it when men clean their language up in your presence, Sara, so I’ll put it to you straight: I couldn’t tell whether that woman wanted to fuck me or kill me.”
Spring Fever
The Angel of Darkness, 193:
When the Doctor opened the front door, she dashed through the vestible and into the hall, looking flushed and annoyed but smiling a bit despite herself. “Stop it, John, the job’s done. You don’t have to go on.”
Mr. Moore came loping in, giving Miss Howard a lusty look what seemed to be only half serious. “I don’t care,” he said. “Two hours in that hole, I’m going to make you pay -“
The Doctor looked at them both in bewilderment. “It’s a bit late for spring fever, Moore. What the devil are you up to?”
“You don’t have a sedative, do you, Doctor?” Miss Howard said. “Apparently John decided this morning that if he behaved like a disgusting pig while we were at the Hall of Records he might be released from his assignment. He’s been at me all morning –“
“Oh, I haven’t even started,” Mr. Moore said, making a move at Miss Howard. “You don’t know what disgusting is yet, Sara…”
“Moore,” the Doctor said, grabbing his friend lightly by the collar, “I should have thought such idiocy beneath even you. Kindly pull yourself together. We’ve had important developments, and now that you’re here, we can all go down to Number 808 and review them together.”
“All right,” Mr. Moore said, his eyes fixed on Miss Howard. “I can wait.”
She just turned and looked into the big mirror that hung in the front hall, securing her hair more tightly at the back of her head as she did. “I’m afraid I really will have to shoot you one day, John.”