“They belong, Temple thinks. They have the stink of belonging wherever they go. This world is their world, and they take possession of every yard they cover, and they run the sun to its grave every night.”

“There are some things she doesn't like to think about because thinking about them takes up every part of her mind and body.”

“It's one of the happy things about a world gone so wrong: your personal freakishness don't stand out so much.”

“Your life ain't a target for the world to shoot at. The world is a target for your life to shoot at.”

“God is a slick god. Temple Knows. She knows because of all the crackerjack miracles still to be seen on this ruined globe.”

“Some people, he says, they hide themselves away from the eyes of the world. They hunker down and shiver. They find four walls high enough to put between them and everything else. Those people, to them the world is a frightful place. See, you and me, we're different. When we are called on to move, we move. It don't matter the cause or the distance. Revenge or ministration, reason or folly - it's all the same to us.”

“The world, it treats you kind enough so long as you're not fightin against it.”