“A Scot can turn a perfectly decent name into a head-butt.”

“Uncle Tarmac says vehicles always resemble their owners, and likes advising my female cousins to judge whether boyfriends will make decent husbands or not by observing how they treat or mistreat their cars.”

“Naming, thinks Jacob, even in ridicule, gives what is named substance.”

“The last of the cherry blossom. On the tree, itturns ever more perfect. And when it’s perfect, it falls. And then of course once it hits theground it gets all mushed up. So it’s only absolutely perfect when it’s falling through the air,this way and that, for the briefest time!.!.!.”

“Wars do not combust without warning. They begin as little fires over the horizon. Wars approach. A wise man watches for the smoke, and prepares to vacate the neighborhood just like Ayrs and Jocasta. My worry is that the next war will be so big, nowhere with a decent restaurant will be left untouched.”

“Leaves turned to soil beneath my feet. Thus it is, trees eat themselves.”

“Your turn has come to sift through the dreck of humanity for rare specks of originality”