House of Cards (trilogy) quotes

Nothing lasts forever. Even the longest, the most glittering reign must come to an end someday.

Who could replace her? Plenty of contenders. Old warriors, young pretenders. Lord Billsborough, say — party chairman, too old and too familiar, tainted by a thousand shabby deals. Michael Samuels — too young and too clever. Patrick Woolton — bit of a lout, bit of a bully-boy. Yes, it could well be Woolton. Henry Collingridge — the people's favourite, a well-meaning fool, no background and no bottom. What, me? Oh, no no no. I'm the Chief Whip, merely a functionary. I keep the troops in line. I put a bit of stick about. I make them jump. And I shall, of course, give my absolute loyalty to whoever emerges as my leader.

Now, I've had a careful look at this memorandum of yours. You're proposing a very radical change. I'd like you to tell me why.

Well...

Just in general terms.

All right. We have been in power longer than any party since the war. It's a new kind of challenge. We need to show that we are not stagnating, that we are capable of self-renewal. Your own succession to the leadership, Prime Minister, is a very good example of the sort of thing I mean.

And now you want to see a great deal more of that sort of thing.

Well, I think we've had a pretty clear indication from the country that people are looking for some kind of change.

You think so.

The...the new names you put forward here, none of them could be described as being on the liberal wing of the party. Wouldn't you agree, Francis?

No one from the radical right, either. They're all good, sound men, Prime Minister.

Good sound men from the shires, mm-hmm. Guaranteed to do that they're told?

I'd rather say that they're all men who have been bred and educated in the tradition of public service, and have proved their reliability over long years.

Well, yes. That is another way of putting it. And I see you're offering your own services in high office.

You will remember, Prime Minister, that some months ago, we talked about the possibility that after the election, there might be a senior ministerial post.

Yes, yes, I do remember that. Things do change so very quickly in politics, don't they, Francis? I'm very grateful, indeed, for your suggestions, but I have to tell you now that we disagree with you entirely. Do you remember Macmillan? The Night of the Long Knives? He sacked a third of his cabinet and destroyed his government in the process. He was out within the year, Francis. Now, here is what I have in mind.

As you see, no cabinet changes at all. I'm sure you'll be seeing what it is, a sign of strength and sureness of purpose.

Well, I hope the parliamentary party will see it in that way.

I rather count on you to press it home to them, Francis, as Chief Whip. I do assume I have your full support.

Of course, Prime Minister. That goes without saying.

Good. I want you to know that I still regard you as a candidate for the highest office. But, you are also the strongest and most deeply respected Chief Whip this party has had — I think I may say — since the war. It's such a slender majority in the House. A good Chief Whip is more important to me than a good Home Secretary.

You are too kind, Prime Minister. Much too kind.

He's not absolutely certain where the danger lies, for one thing; and a sudden flurry of changes may look like panic. That's the official view.

Mattie

But you don't agree with it.

Of course I agree with it, Mattie. I have to agree with it. You, on the other hand, may feel that if you were... the captain of the Titanic, you wouldn't be saying, "Steady she goes."

Mattie

If I were... captain of the Titanic... which of my senior officers should I be worried about?

Beware of an old man in a hurry. Have you heard that phrase, Mattie?

[...] and if you must use whores, for God's sake go to a decent knocking-shop where they understand the meaning of discretion.

A party conference can be many things: a show of confidence, an agonizing reappraisal, or, as in this case, a series of auditions by pretenders to the throne, while the lost leader withers before our very eyes.

[commenting on the party conference speakers] Michael Samuels - environment. "Intelligent", "sensitive", "caring" - all in the same sentence, I bet you.

...that doesn't mean a return to subsistence farming. What it does mean is sensitive exploitation of natural resources, intelligent self-interest to motivate long-term gains in a caring capitalist concept.

Told you.

Elizabeth

[of Mattie] You trust her?

Yes. Up to a point.

Elizabeth

If you wanted to be quite certain of her loyalty, perhaps one night when you're in town and I'm here in the country... Well, I should quite understand, Francis. I'll leave that up to you entirely.

Mattie

I think you underestimate yourself and that's a shame.

Underestimate myself? In what way?

Mattie

You underestimate your ability and your capacity for power, I think. And I think you underestimate your personal attractiveness.

Now that is absurd, Mattie. You can't expect me to fall for that. I'm old enough to be your father.

Mattie

Perhaps that's something to do with it.

Not feeling guilty, I hope. If you have pangs of pity, crush them now. Grind them under your heel like old cigar butts. I've done the country a favour. He didn't have the brain or the heart or the stomach to rule a country like Great Britain. A nice enough man, but there was no bottom to him. His deepest need was that people should like him. An admirable trait, that, in a spaniel or a whore — not, I think, in a Prime Minister, hmm? And we've done him a favour, too, if he did but know it. He was in a trap and screaming from the moment he took office. We simply put the poor bastard out of his agony. After life's fitful fever, he sleeps well. So let's not indulge ourselves in any squeamishness — alright? Because this... is just the start.

Mattie

I don't know what to call you. There's nothing I can call you.

You can call me Francis.

That's just it, I can't. I don't think of you as Francis. It's so stupid.

You can hardly call me Chief Whip.

I want to call you Daddy.

So hard to know who to trust in these suspicious days. Does passion engender trust? Not necessarily. And yet we all would wish to feed on certainties. To hear the word "always", and believe it true. She trusts me absolutely, I believe. I trust she does. And I? I trust her absolutely... to be absolutely human.

[while poisoning O'Neill's cocaine] This is an act of mercy. Truly. You know the man now. You can see he has nowhere to go. He's begging to be set free. He's had enough. And when he's finally at rest, then we'll be free to remember the real Roger. The burning boy in the green jersey. With that legendary, fabulous sidestep and brave, terrified smile.

Mattie, can I trust you?

Mattie

You know you can.

Oh, Mattie. It gives me such pain to say this, but, I don't believe you. I don't believe I can trust you.

Mattie

[falling to her death] Daddy...!