“Vic bears you no ill will. He is outside drinking the Dew of the Mountain and will be glad to see you yourself again" Ranulf said to Lucas.”

“Everyone is lonely," Ranulf said, but he smiled. "We have to remember that life is to be lived one day at a time. You cannot worry about past or future. Happiness is in the now."Raquel laughed. "Vic has totally brainwashed you.”

“Vic knelt by Lucas's side. 'You look like crap, by the way.''Thanks for breaking it to me gently.' Lucas took a deep breath, then groaned.”

“Remember how I told you that the Vikings sacked my village and took me back with them?" Ranulf was speaking to Vic now; I'd never heard this story before. "All young men among the Vikings were taught to fight."Vic slowly said, "This is why you kick so much ass at World of Warcraft, isn't it?”

“I guess it's hard, being apart all the time.""It really is. If Lucas were still here, everything would be different." Vic's smile turned smug. "Yeah, I'd have a roommate who could beat me at chess instead of the other way around."Ranulf never looked up from the chessboard. "I hear your insults and plan to silence them with my victory.""Keep dreaming," Vic called.”

“How did you learn all this?"Vic sighed. "See, while you spend all your time making out with Balthazar, and Raquel stays holed up with her art projects, and Ranulf's off studying his Norse myths again, i do something else. Something crazy. Something strange. I call it 'talking to other people.' Through this miraculous process, I am sometimes able to learn facts about two or three other human beings in a single day. Scientists plan to study my method."~Vic”