Quote by Kurt Vonnegut
The mountebank told them that God was surely trying to kill them, possibly because He was through with them, and that they should have the good manners to die. This, as you can see, they did.
Summary
This quote is sarcastically highlighting the absurdity of a persuasive speech given by a mountebank (a quack or charlatan). The mountebank suggests that the people he is speaking to are in such a dire situation that God must want them dead, and they should accept their fate politely. The quote implies that the people believe and obey this irrational advice, ultimately leading to their demise. It serves as a critique of blind faith and the power of manipulation, portraying the consequences when individuals unquestioningly follow questionable authority.