“Clarabelle...Clarabelle... You worked as Kenspeckle Grouse's assistant, did you not?''One of the. He fired all the others.''But not you?''He fired me on the second day, but I kept coming in. I had nowhere else to go.''And then you killed him.''Yes.''A Remnant squirmed inside you, and you killed Kenspeckle Grouse.''Yes.'Nye grinned. 'You're hired. But I have warn you, if you try to kill me, I will dissect you and sing along to your screams.''Can I have Mondays off?''You may.”

“Why did Mother ask you to help me rescue Gelsi?” I asked Leif.“She thought I could assist you in some way. Instead, I had tried to—”“Kill me? You can join the ‘I Want to Kill Yelena Guild.’ I hear they have six members in good standing. Valek is president since he had wanted to kill me twice.”

“You have to carry the fire."I don't know how to."Yes, you do."Is the fire real? The fire?"Yes it is."Where is it? I don't know where it is."Yes you do. It's inside you. It always was there. I can see it.”

“You want to know why I brought you out here." "The question had crossed my mind, yes. But I figured it was probably to buy me horses or feed me caviar. Or, you know, to kill me." He looks up surprised. "Kill you? No. And in the future I would say if you suspect someone wants to kill you, you shouldn't follow him into the woods.”

“Am I to assume you would rather not have us as clients?"
 "Let me think about that for a nanosecond," Dickie said. "Yes! Last time you were in my office you tried to kill me."
 "That's an exaggeration. Maim you, yes. Kill you, probably not."
”

“I didn't say yes. I can say no to anything I say vile, and I don't have to count the cost. But because you said yes, all that you can do, for all your crown and your trappings, and your guards—all that your can do is to have me killed.”