“Is that a scanning electron microscope? “This’ll do, pig, this’ll do,” I murmur.“Excuse me?”“Sorry. Film reference, wasn’t meant as an insult.”“Ah. I see.” His tone tells me he clearly doesn’t. I briefly consider educating him, but explaining a movieabout a talking pig who wants to be a sheepdog to a Japanese vampire just isn’t all that high on my to-dolist.”

“Dr Adams was following my orders if you want to blame someone blame me -casiusoh i do,I'm just so pissed i had extra left over - Jace”

“I don't do romance, in the same way I don't do heroin Russian roulette, or nude alligator wrestling. I consider all of the above self-destructive, and demeaning and these are things up with which I will not put.”

“I stare at him. "Gee, don't feel like you have to sugarcoat it or anything.""Some people need a cold dose of reality to help them focus.""You could have just slapped me.""I considered it. But you hate clichés, and I hate being shot.""Good point. Plus, this is a hospital. Guns are kind of noisy.""Are they? I thought it was just a personal statement on your part, like women who wear too much makeup.”

“I'm in position." Charlie's voice, coming through my earpiece."Wish I could say the same. All the blood's rushing to my head.""Thrope stuff?" Charlie sounds a little worried."No, I'm upside down.""Why?""I thought it would make me look all cool and ninja-y.""No one's supposed to be bale to see you.""Ah. I knew there was a flaw in my plan. Also, i slipped.""In fact, the whole point of being a ninja is not to be seen.""Fortunately I have this nifty safety harness, which is why I'm dangling instead of plummeting. Thanks for asking.”

“Deep spirit scanning,” Eisfanger says. His voice has a strange resonance to it, like I’m hearing him through a bad phone connection. “Don’t worry, it’s completely safe. Well, mostly.”“Mostly?”“Side effects have been documented,” he admits. “In a very small percentage of cases. Less than two percent.”“What kind of side effects?” Suddenly I’m feeling nauseous. Feels like the ants are crawling around inside me now, which is exactly as disturbing as it sounds.“Memory loss. Synesthesia. And occasionally … vestigial growths.”“So I could forget my own name, start smelling purple everywhere and have an extra nipple sprout from my forehead?”

“I talk better when I’m drinking coffee.” “Me, too. If by coffee you mean beer, and by better you mean louder.”