How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"I wonder how many of our 'military' are simply people like your friend, disguised tarts."
"Who knows? I wish they all were."
"Of course," Ignatius said in a thoughtful, serious voice, "this could be a worldwide deception. The red sateen scarf rode up and down. The next war could turn out to be one massive orgy." (10.162-164)
Ignatius contemplates achieving peace through the massive worldwide deception of having gay men infiltrate the armed forces. In some sense, Ignatius is here suddenly recognizing the existence and the potential of the closet—the fact that gay people have long concealed their identities in order to avoid persecution or stigma. Ignatius, lover of deception that he is, is excited by the possibilities.
It doesn't seem to occur to him that if gay men in the military were going to bring peace, it would have happened long ago, since gay men have served in the military since there has been one.
Quote #5
He picked up the telephone, and in an assumed voice rich with Mayfair accents said, "Yus?"
"Mr. Reilly?" a man asked.
"Mr. Reilly is not here." (11.447-449)
Ignatius lies to Mr. Levy. It's not clear that Ignatius even knows why Mr. Levy is trying to find him, and instead he just lies on general principle, either because he assumes he's in trouble, or possibly just to be a jerk. Or maybe because the novel thinks lying is fun?
Quote #6
Lana looked at the silk suit, the hat, the weak, insecure eyes. She could spot a safe one, a soft touch, all right. A rich doctor? A lawyer? She might be able to turn this little fiasco into a profit. (12.319)
Lana's hawk eyes fail her, and after boasting early in the novel that she can always detect a cop, she is completely bamboozled by one of Mancuso's silly costumes. Even liars get taken in on occasion, apparently.