How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
We shall therefore intervene, and render Sook Yongsheng's story in a way that is accurate to the events he wished to disclose, rather than to the style of his narration (I.9.13).
The book isn't big on promoting some rock solid, totally objective notion of truth that everyone could access and see the same way. Instead, truth is kind of a big ball of clay that the characters can mold into the shapes that please them (and which then, in turn, might get interpreted differently, depending on who's trying to make sense of that lump).
Here, the narrator is saying that Sook's story has been edited so the spirit of what he was trying to say comes through, whereas that might not have happened if the conversation had been transcribed literally. The narrator makes these kinds of interruptions/interventions quite a lot in the story.
Quote #2
'Take the mention of the Dunstan goldfield, for example. Francis Carver apparently mentioned the name of that field to Mr. Lauderback, who in turn narrated that encounter to Mr. Balfour, who in turn relayed that conversation to me, tonight! You will all agree that I would be a fool to take Mr. Balfour's words to be true.'
But Moody had misjudged his audience, in questioning so sensitive a subject as the truth. There was an explosion of indignation around the room (I.9.162-163).
Moody gets himself into hot water when he suggests that the truth of the stories conveyed to him in the Crown smoking room might be at the very least watered down, given that a lot of them are coming third-hand. The men seem offended by the suggestion that they hadn't accurately conveyed absolute truths in their stories.
Quote #3
'I contend that there are no whole truths, there are only pertinent truths—and pertinence, you must agree, is always a matter of perspective. I do not believe that any one of you has perjured himself in any way tonight. I trust that you have given me the truth, and nothing but the truth. But your perspectives are very many, and you will forgive me if I do not take your tale for something whole' (I.9.169).
Despite the fact that he's already gotten into trouble for suggesting that information might get a bit garbled third-hand, Moody sticks to his guns in suggesting that truth itself (as a concept) might be a bit more slippery than the men would like to admit. He is quick to say he doesn't think any of the men has lied…but he clarifies that he doesn't necessarily think they've told the "truth," in his sense, either.