“Cleopatra's nose, had it been shorter, the whole face of the world would have been changed.”

“Hard to believe it had only been a few moments since the searchers had been there, shining their lights around in the room... because to Simon, it had been a whole world of change. Eons. His own personal apocalyptic event.”

“She had come to accept, deeply, and with certitude, that she had been born into a world, a life, that would not let her be whole.”

“Had she been born 500 years sooner, Raphael would have chosen her as a model for his cherubs. Tendrils of bright red hair framed her face, a spray of freckles powdered her nose, and she was as plump as a perfectly ripened peach. Raphael probably would have painted out the freckles, and that would have been a mistake. Like brushing cinnamon off cinnamon toast.”

“The likeness she had been searching for was on her face the whole time.”

“Had all the world been a school and Wilson its principal, he would have been the greatest statesman in history.”