“But the cracks were splitting, finding power, thickening into chasms.”

“There were fissures and chasms in the walls and floor, and every now and then a crack would open right before their feet. The widest was more than seven feet across, and it was long before Pippin could summon enough courage to leap over the dreadful gap.”

“The only sign of war was a cloud of dust migrating from east to west. It looked through the windows, trying to find a way inside, and as it simultaneously thickened and spread, it turned the trail of humans into apparitions. There were no people on the street anymore. They were rumors carrying bags.”

“She could find no purchase on the older woman’s marble-smooth countenance. There were no cracks to give her a view into her soul.”

“The moment we decide to throw more energy into fighting for our mate than with him, the crack of a fist on the enemy's jaw splits the ears of angels.”

“Take your practiced powers and stretch them out until they span the chasm between contradictions ... for the god wants to know himself in you.”