Quotes from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“Life at H.I.V.E. may have its attractions after all, Otto thought. Friends, as they say, may come and go, but high-powered laser weapons are forever.”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“Keep an eye on that boy... he has potential”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“I'm sure that there must have been times when you have read books or watched films and found yourself secretly wishing for the villain to win. Why? Isn't that against the rules by which our society lives? Why should you feel this way? It's simple, really; the villain is the true hero of these tales, not the well-intentioned moron who somehow foils their diabolical scheme. The villain get's all the best lines, has the best costumes, has unlimited power and wealth- why on earth would anyone not want to be the villain?”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“Darkdoom? Darkdoom did this?" Nero was visibly surprised. He placed a hand on his forehead, rubbing his temples. "Oh, why is it always the bald ones?”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“Perhaps they never left the island when construction was complete," Otto replied.
Wing raised an eyebrow. "A true job for life."
"Or a life for a job," Otto countered. He wouldn't be at all surprised, given the emphasis on total secrecy, if H.I.V.E. offered an "aggressive" retirement package for lower-level employees. Here, being fired was probably a term that was taken a little too literally.”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“I hope you don't snore," Otto said, laughing.
"Like a chainsaw, my friend, like a chainsaw," Wing replied, grinning.”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“I'll have to remember that for the future. When in a life-or-death battle, be sure to club unconscious everyone on your side as early on in the fight as possible," Laura said, laughing.”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“Wing watched her leave and turned to Otto. ‘My father once told me that only the foolish man pulls on the tiger’s tail as it dangles from the tree.’ It was the first time that Otto had seen him smile.

Otto grinned at Wing. ‘True, but how else do you find out if it’s a tiger at all?”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“H.I.V.E. will not tolerate unauthorized violence between students, especially students that have only been here for a matter of hours."
"I was just introducing myself," Otto replied innocently. "I'm afraid I appear to have inadvertently offended them somehow.”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“So you see, you have nothing to be afraid of."
Oh no, thought Otto, just squads of hired goons wandering around with experimental energy weapons. Nothing to be afraid of at all.”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“Good night’s sleep?’ she enquired, still smiling.

‘For Wing, certainly,’ Otto replied, ‘though possibly not anyone within a hundred yards of him. If whales snore, that’s what it sounds like.’

Wing smiled guiltily. ‘I did warn you.’

‘It’s a sign of a good healthy set of lungs, at least that’s what my dad always used to tell me,’ Laura said, chuckling, ‘though I think there were a few nights where my mum was not far from taking a kitchen knife and checking to see if his were as healthy as he claimed, if you know what I mean.’

Otto nodded in agreement. ‘I wonder if you snore after you get hit with a sleeper?’

‘Don’t even think about it,’ Wing replied.”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“Indeed,’ Wing said with a nod, ‘though I am not sure that it is a positive thing that what qualifies as a good day at H.I.V.E. is one where no one was either killed or permanently maimed.”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to your new home.’ He gestured to the stone walls of the cavern that surrounded them. ‘Your lives as you once knew them are over,’ he continued. ‘You have been selected, all of you, the worst, the most cunning, the most mischievous minds from around the world . . . selected to become part of an institution like no other. You have all exhibited certain unique abilities, abilities that set you apart from the mediocrity of the teeming masses and which mark you out as the leaders of tomorrow. Here, in this place, you will be furnished with the knowledge and experience to best exploit your own natural abilities, to hone your craft to a cutting edge.’

He paused and slowly surveyed the pale, wide-eyed faces before him.

‘Each of you has within you a rare quality, a gift if you will, a special talent for the supremely villainous. Society would have us believe that this is an undesirable characteristic, something that should be subdued, controlled, destroyed. But not here . . . no, here we want to see you blossom into all that you can be, to see your innate wickedness flourish, to make you the very worst that you can be.’

He stepped out from behind the lectern and walked to the edge of the raised platform. As he loomed over them he seemed to grow taller and some of those at the front of the group edged backwards nervously.

‘For today all of you have the unique honour and privilege of becoming the newest students of the world’s first and only school of applied villainy.’ He spread his arms, gesturing to the walls around them. ‘Welcome to H.I.V.E., the Higher Institute of Villainous Education.”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

“Otto suspected that Franz would have been quite prepared to go to lunch naked if that was what was necessary and, despite his best efforts, a mental image of this formed that Otto feared might haunt him for ever.

Wing looked at him with concern. ‘Are you all right, Otto? You’ve gone quite pale. Is the Contessa trying to manipulate you again?’

In Otto’s mind’s eye a naked Franz was pouring baked beans straight from the tin into his mouth.

‘No, Wing, it’s much worse than that . . .”
― Mark Walden, quote from H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education

About the author

Popular quotes

“Take another look at your life. Give thanks. Accept your circumstances. Give thanks. Count your blessings. Give thanks. Show up for each day’s meditation. Be willing to give the basic tools a fair chance. They can help you find your way.”
― Sarah Ban Breathnach, quote from Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy

“The easiest way to get brainwashed is to be born. All of the above principles then immediately go into action, a process which social psychologists euphemistically call socialization.”
― Robert Anton Wilson, quote from Prometheus Rising

“She strode up some steps and banged on the door. "Now you play nice or I'll put you in the dog house."(Alannah)
"Woof."(Christopher Beckett)”
― Dana Marie Bell, quote from Shadow of the Wolf

“Pete and me are pretty sure she's a witch, like old Gussie Jetherell, just down from us-- through she definitely is. She's got lots of cats, and that's a sign.”
― Lindsey Barraclough, quote from Long Lankin

“For through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can’t murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can’t establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can’t murder hate through violence. Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that. Martin Luther King Jr., “Where”
― quote from While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age During the Civil Rights Movement

Interesting books

About BookQuoters

BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.

We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.

Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.