“I wasn’t going to argue with you. Why ever would you think that? I never argue."Lucian smiled at her. She was so small, it amazed him she was such a strong person. "Of course you do not argue. What was I thinking? Go to sleep, honey, and allow my poor body to rest.""I’m already asleep. You’re the one gabbing.”

“You're English," he said. "And I will therefore make certain allowances for you. I realize you don't understand you shouldn't argue with me, and so I'll explain it to you. Don't argue with me."Incredulous, she said, "That's it? 'Don't argue with me' is your explanation as to why I shouldn't argue with you?”

“I think you are wrong, Basil, but I won't argue with you. It is only the intellectually lost who ever argue.”

“I don't think I'd like to argue with you," I say. "I think it would be a very dissatisfying pastime.”

“When you argue with someone, you always argue at the level of the person with the lowest level of intelligence. You never argue up.”

“So much for playing nice.Tired, I let my eyes shut while they argued, hoping I didn’t die in the interim and make the problem moot. I wasn’t ever going to get my water. Ever.”