“It will be dark in a few hours," she said at last, anxiously. "Suppose you don't finnish it in time?" "I have finnished!" he snapped, irritated. "I've finnished a dozen times already, but I'm not happy with it." He lowered his voice to a wisper brfore he went on. "There are so many questions. Suppose the Shadow turns on you or me or the prisners once he's killed Capricorn? And is killing Capricorn really the only solution? What's going to happen to his men afterward? What do I do with them?" "What do you think? The Shadow must kill them all!" Meggie whispered back. "How else are we ever going to get back home or rescue my mother?" "Good heavens, what a heartless creature you are!" he wispered . "Kill them all! Haven't you seen how young some of them are?" He shook his head. "No! I'm not a mass murderer, I'm a writer! I'm sure I can think of some less bloodthirsty ending." And he began writing again . . . and crossing out words . . . and writing more, while outside the sun sank lower and lower until its rays were gliding the hilltops.”

“Guess what, Avery?""What?" I wondered if he could see how fast my heart was beating beneath my shirt."Remember how you just said you were having a good time?" Cam lowered his head so that our mouths were scant inches apart. "It's about to get better.""Is it?"He shifted his head and his nose grazed mine. "Oh, yeah.""Are you not going to kiss me again?"His lips tipped up. "That's exactly what I'm going to do.”

“What are you doing?""What I've wanted to do for a long time."She couldn't move, couldn't think. She was lost in his dark eyes, and as he slowly lowered his head toward hers, she whispered, "Are you going to throttle me, then?"He was laughing when he kissed her.”

“Don't go!" Rycca said urgently. "It's a trap."Her husband looked down at her with amusement. "Of course it's a trap, sweetling.There are a dozen men out there.They assume they've got us neatly caught.""You could be killed before anyone got near enough to stop them."He shook his head. "I'm not going to be killed.But I am going to get Wolscroft to talk.It's the only way." He turned toward the door,turned back,and said, "Do not, under any circumstances, even think about so much as poking a finger outside.Do you understand?"Every obedient,Rycca nodded.Again he turned to go,again he looked back. "Let me rephrase that.Do you promise me you won't come outside until I tell you to?"Her reponse was a glare but she followed it with a nod.If nothing else,this husband of hers was learning caution,which was all the good since he surely had need of it.”

“I'm not sure whether to be relieved she didn't hurt you or diappointed. Now he's going to think he got away with that junk." -AbbyI wouldn't say that. He got a stern talking-to, but he already made great progress with his groveling lessons." -Sam""Ill show you exactly how much progress I've made the next time I get you in a shower." -Noah"I'm gonna kill him! Did you hear that? You have to let me kill him." -Graham"Stay right where you are. There will be no killing. I thought I made that clear to everyone last night. Don't make me go over it again!" -Missy”

“Leo lowered his screwdriver. He looked at the ceiling and shook his head like, What am I gonna do with this guy? "I try very hard to be annoying," Leo said. "Don't insult my ability to annoy. And how am I supposed to resent you if you go apologizing? I'm a lowly mechanic. You're like the prince of the sky, son of the Lord of the Universe. I'm supposed to resent you." "Lord of the Universe?" (Jason) "Sure, you're all-bam! Lightning man. And 'Watch me fly. I am the eagle that soars-" (Leo) "Shut up, Valdez." (Jason) Leo managed a little smile. "Yeah, see. I do annoy you." "I apologize for apologizing." (Jason) "Thank you." He went back to work, but the tension had eased between them. Leo still looked sad and exhausted-just not quite so angry.”