“You wish to be free, but there is no such thing as freedom. You can redecorate dungeon to give illusion of freedom, but you are still in dungeon.” “I should’ve had the choice.” “Choice is illusion, same as happiness and freedom.”

“You know what happens when you give a kid a calculator instead of teaching him math?""I think you need my help." I cross my arms. "You know what happens when you give a kid a calculator instead of teaching him math?"He tilts his head, his eyes fetchingly bright."Sure he can do math that way," I continue, "but then if you take the calculator from him, suddenly he can't do any math at all, because he'slearned to rely on the calculator. Your power lets you look at people and see exactly what it takes to make them tick. Or crumble. But withoutyour power, you don't get people.”

“All I could think of was you. All I can ever think about is you. Why am I always fighting it? Always fighting thinking about you, fighting this wonderful feeling about you. This aliveness. This love.” I look into his eyes and smile like a madwoman. “I love you!” I can’t stop saying it. “I love you. Love, love love.”

“Most people think happiness is about gaining something, but it's not. It's all about getting rid of the darkness you accumulate.”

“I got it right Justine. Feel into it. Your sense of being a misfit blinds you to what your heart really wants. When you get around solid upstanding men you’re like a bird with tinfoil. It makes you incoherent on a romantic level.” “My affection is incoherent unless it’s for you That’s the line you’re giving me here ” “This is real.” He points out the door. “That isn’t.”

“I'm thinking about that afternoon you came to the empty restaurant, that day after the Alchemist. You were so alone." He pauses. I was. I'd never felt so alone. "Nobody saw it, but I did. I always see you. And you came in that door and came up to me and everything was new.”

“You have the most contact with Packard.""No, I don't.""Yes, you do," they say in unison."You just saw him," Helmut says."He had to deliver some gloves to me," I explain.Helmut raises an eyebrow. "And he couldn't have sent them with one of his people?"I don't answer. I'm thinking about those pretty gloves, clearly chosen to match that specific dress of mine. So thoughtful. Did he pick them out himself?Helmut snorts. "And what was he wearing?""A dinner jacket," I say, "but just to blend in with the crowd.""And did you share any food or beverage-""It wasn't a date."Simon tips his glass into his mouth and chews ice loudly."It wasn't a date.”