- Irena Gallier: I'm not like you.
- Paul Gallier: Well, that's the lie that will kill your lover. At least let me spare you that - horror.
- Paul Gallier: Did they ever tell you how our parents died?
- Irena Gallier: Yes.
- Paul Gallier: What did they tell you about me?
- Irena Gallier: Well, not much. I knew I had a brother but I was only four. I used to fantasize about you when I was in the orphanage.
- Paul Gallier: Fantasize?
- Irena Gallier: Well, you know, about you coming to rescue me and things. Daydreams.
- Paul Gallier: Yes, I had the same dreams.
- Paul Gallier: Long ago, our ancestors sacrificed their children to the leopards. The souls of the children grew inside the leopards, until the leopards became human. We were gods then.
- Irena Gallier: We are a incestuous race. We can only make love with our own, otherwise we transform. And before we can become human again, we must kill.
- Paul Gallier: Welcome home.
- Alice Perrin: So, what happened?
- Irena Gallier: Um, what did - what - I don't remember, what did...
- Alice Perrin: The boy you liked.
- Irena Gallier: Oh, right! So, you know, we petted and stuff like that. He wanted to go all the way and so did I; but, I don't know, I got scared. He looked so...
- Alice Perrin: What?
- Irena Gallier: Huge!
- Alice Perrin: God! What's his name? Quick.
- Bronte Judson: Do leopards eat pizza?
- Joe Creigh: Well, they're scavengers. He probably raided a garbage can before he went to the massage parlor.
- Alice Perrin: Doesn't look like he went there out of hunger.
- Joe Creigh: Maybe he was horny!
- Alice Perrin: Jesus, don't encourage these assholes, please.
- Irena Gallier: How do you not encourage them?
- Alice Perrin: I tell them I'm gay.
- Irena Gallier: Paul, don't you touch me!
- Paul Gallier: But, I'm the only one who can touch you. You're the only one who can touch me. Don't you see we're safe together because we're the same.
- Irena Gallier: I'm not like you!
- Paul Gallier: Oh, yes you are. You've always known it.
- Detective Brandt: Take a look. There's pieces of three or four bodies in there. Probably more buried around.
- Alice Perrin: Oh, God.
- Detective Brandt: I expect Gallier killed them first. Possibly as part of some ritual. Then, fed 'em to the leopard. We found some others over the years. Mostly prositutes, female runaways, half eaten, genitals torn out.
- Billie: [naked, in bed] Oh, don't be upset, baby. It happens.
- Paul Gallier: I like you; but...
- Billie: Well, that's no problem, hon. I like you, too.
- Paul Gallier: You don't understand.
- Billie: Oh, sure I do. You're just a little nervous, that's all. I know how to take care of men like you. You just need some time.
- Paul Gallier: Every time I pray it won't happen again. Yeah. You've got very - very beautiful hair.
- Billie: Thank you. Relax. It's no big deal. Mama, will make it better.
- [puts her head in Paul's crotch]
- Billie: Oh, that's good. That's much, much better.
- Paul Gallier: I didn't think you were ready, but you are. I knew it when I saw you with him.
- Irena Gallier: Who? Oliver?
- Paul Gallier: You want to fuck him, don't you? You dream about fucking him! Your whole body burns, it burns all along your nerves, in your mouth, your breasts, you go wet between your legs.
- Irena Gallier: Stop it!
- Paul Gallier: Every time it happens, you tell yourself that it's love. But it isn't. It's blood. Death. You can't escape your nightmare without me and I can't escape without you. I've waited a long time for you.
- Ruthie: You know the rules around here? I guess not, okay. A massage alone is $25 and for $25 that's all you get. Tipping is allowed and appreciated. You know, if you want to negotiate for something extra?
- Oliver Yates: Why'd you run away like that?
- Irena Gallier: Well, you scared me.
- Oliver Yates: But, the leopard doesn't?
- Irena Gallier: You can sense how an animal feels.
- Oliver Yates: Oh, you can?
- Irena Gallier: Yeah, sometimes. We're all connected.
- Oliver Yates: Who are you?
- Irena Gallier: I flew in the day before yesterday. Went site-seeing. Forgot to eat. And you started chasing me and I just got all excited.
- Oliver Yates: Yeah, well, I - I do sometimes have that affect on woman.
- Irena Gallier: Oh, really?
- Irena Gallier: How do you eat this?
- Oliver Yates: Well, you take this little wedge of lemon, like this. Squirt it on your oyster. Then, you hit it with some of this horseradish red sauce. Just a touch. Pick it up and then let that sucker slide down your throat.
- Alice Perrin: If you want to get laid, you can do a lot better than that, believe me.
- Irena Gallier: Say, I was just being friendly. I was not trying to get laid.
- Alice Perrin: Occasionally, they're compatible.
- Irena Gallier: I wouldn't know.
- Alice Perrin: How come?
- Irena Gallier: I just never met anybody I liked enough to have sex with.
- Alice Perrin: Never?
- Irena Gallier: Not so far, no.
- Alice Perrin: Really? You're still a virgin?
- Irena Gallier: Come on, don't make it sound so perverse.
- Alice Perrin: Oh, no, no. Not at all. I just - incomprehensible, maybe. Especially these days!
- Irena Gallier: I guess I'm a romantic at heart. When it's right, it'll happen. It'll be magical.
- Alice Perrin: I'm not knocking it. Here's to the magic.
- [toast]
- Irena Gallier: Listen.
- Oliver Yates: What?
- Irena Gallier: Can't you hear it?
- Oliver Yates: Yeah, that's alligators. They're about to eat us.
- Irena Gallier: [doubtingly] Alligators.
- Oliver Yates: Yeah! There's only one way to keep them away. You know what that is?
- Irena Gallier: No.
- Oliver Yates: You have to make love.
- [kiss]
- Oliver Yates: They hate the sound.
- [kiss]
- Paul Gallier: Oliver doesn't love you. He loved the panther. He wants you because he fears you. Let Alice have him. She thinks his fear is courage. And he thinks his fear is love. Well, they were made for each other.
- Bill Searle: he's not so dangerous in a cage.
- Oliver Yates: When we get finished testing we're going to have to free up some of these other exhibits so we can give this new leopard some extra space.
- Bill Searle: You're going to have to disarm him.
- Bronte Judson: What does that involve?
- Oliver Yates: Not much. Cut its claws, root canals. File and crown it's fangs. There's a dentist in town that does the work. Uh.. Radenauer.
- Bronte Judson: Tom Radenauer?
- Oliver Yates: Yeah, he does people too.
- Bronte Judson: Yeah I know he's my dentist. Shit Oliver, we don't have the funds for this. You know how it's been coming down lately. Aren't there any other alternatives.
- Oliver Yates: Not really. Because of its history it's no good for breeding. If we try trading it to another zoo I'm afraid it's erratic behavior they just wouldn't take it.
- Bill Searle: You could euthanize it.
- Bronte Judson: What's that kill it?
- Oliver Yates: It's not an acceptable solution.
- Bronte Judson: How much would that cost?
- Oliver Yates: I said it's not acceptable.
- Bronte Judson: Can we at least discuss it?
- Oliver Yates: Look I'll put up with being underbudgeted and understaffed and the fact that these exhibits we're built in 1901 and are falling apart but I will not put up with that crap.
- Bronte Judson: Fine, calm down. I only asked.
- Alice Perrin: Looks like we have a gourmet leopard on our hands. He threw up in the cage, Joe found pizza in the vomit.
- Joe Creigh: Yeah, sure did. Ew pepperoni.
- Bronte Judson: Leopards eat pizza?
- Joe Creigh: Well there's scavengers, he probably raided a garbage can before he went to the massage parlor.
- Alice Perrin: Doesn't look like he went there out of hunger.
- Joe Creigh: Maybe he was horny. Always the possibility.
- Oliver Yates: Anything else?
- Alice Perrin: Nothing. No worms, no distemper, no encephalitis. Whoever owns him takes good care of him.
- Oliver Yates: Sure does. He's a superb cat.
- Bill Searle: [indifferent] a superb cat? He's a menace.
- Paul Gallier: Some little mice sat in the barn to spin. Pussy came by and popped her head in. What are you doing my little men?
- Paul Gallier, Irena Gallier: Weaving coats for...
- Paul Gallier: Gent...
- Irena Gallier: Gentlemen.
- Paul Gallier: Very good! Shall I come in and cut your throats off?
- Paul Gallier, Irena Gallier: Oh, no kind sir, we will snap our heads off.
- Oliver Yates: [character's first lines] Dr. Yates, New Orleans Zoo. Bill Searle called about a stray cat?
- Joe Creigh: [singing] What's new pussycat? Whoa-ho-ho-ho-hoo-ho. What's new pussycat, Whoa-ho-ho-ho-hoo-ho, Pussycat, pussycat, I love you, Yes, I do, You and your pussycat - smell.