“If Mr. Castillo had been in charge of building the Ark, Noah would have wound up with a boat the size of the New Jersey.""It still wouldn't have been big enough for all those animals," said Freddie. "Honestly, Freddie," I said. "Don't you know a joke when you hear one?""Sure," he said. "Just the same, Val, with the few people the Ark had aboard, there wouldn't be enough of them to shovel all the-"I threw a pine cone at him and chased him back to camp.”

“Are you sure that's Val?""No," said Freddie. "It's Lassie in a wolf suit.”

“So." Noah said carefully. I was sitting up cross-legged and tangled in my sheets."So." I said back"Would you like to hear about Curious George's new adventures?"I shook my head."Are you sure?" Noah asked. "He's been such a naughty monkey.""Pass.”

“You might have been paid back enough to suit you" I said, "but I don't know if you've been paid back enough to suit me.”

“Whatare they doing?"Brodick glanced at the women. "Chasing Ramsey," he answered very matter-of-factly before returning to his task of scanning the field."Why? "Why what?" he asked as he continued to search.She sighed. "Why are the ladies chasing him?"The question startled him, for what should have been obvious to Gillian appeared not to be obvious at all. With a shrug, he said, "It's what they all do.""All the ladies chase him?" she asked, still not understanding.He finally gave her his full attention. "Yes, they do," he said quietly."But why?""You don't know?""I wouldn't ask if I knew, Brodick," she said, thoroughly perplexed."They find him… handsome," he finally said for lack of a better word. "That's what I've been told anyway.”

“When I told him on the phone that after all you and I would not be getting married, he said "Oh-oh. Do you think you'll ever manage to get another one?" If I'd objected to his saying that he would naturally have said it was a joke. And it was a joke. I have not managed to get another one but perhaps have not been in the best condition to try.”