“They faced each other. 'I'm going to enjoy this,'Melancholia said. 'I daresay I'm not.”

“But I'm really enjoying my retirement. I get to sleep in every day. I do crossword puzzles and eat cake.”

“She glared at him. “I'm not weird like that. I'm good weird. I'm cool weird.” “Yes,” he said doubtfully. “Yes, you are.”

“You're late,' he said.'I'm beautiful.''You're always beautiful.''I'm always late too.”

“An untied shoelace can be dangerous,' he said.'I could have tripped.'She stared at him. A moment dragged by.'I'm joking,' he said at last.She relaxed. 'Really?''Absolutely. I would never have tripped. I'm far too graceful.”

“Was it a test?” she asked. “I mean, I know I'm still new to this. I'm still the rookie. Did you hang back to test me, to see if I'd be able to handle it alone?”“Well, kind of,” he said. “Actually, no, nothing like that. My shoelace was untied. That's why I was late. That's why you were alone.”“I could have been killed because you were tying your SHOELACE?”“An untied shoelace an be dangerous,” he said. “I could have tripped.”She stared at him. A moment dragged by.“I'm joking,” he said at last.She relaxed. “Really?”“Absolutely. I would never have tripped. I'm far too graceful”

“We didn't die,' she said.Of course not. I'm too clever to die, and you're too pretty.'I am pretty,' Valkryie said, managing a grin.”