“The willingness to reexamine lifelong beliefs because of conflicting data takes enormous courage, and contrasts sharply with recent examples of public discourse in which our political, cultural, and religious leaders have fit data to preconceived theories.”

“If you consider any set of data without a preconceived viewpoint, then a viewpoint will emerge from the data.”

“I wish to God I could talk to her the way she wants me to, besides forever making her guess what I’m thinking. Why can’t I find the words?”

“Can't figure women. Sometimes they're afraid of a spider, other times they're not afraid to stand right up to the devil.”

“We need to find you a man. You're conjuring Cinderfellas.”

“Rising up into the air, they took to the sky and flew. From west and beyond west, into the wind and through it, they came past countless moons and suns. One laughed and briefly wore a scarf of raindrops in her hair, and then with wicked feet she kicked a cloud and caused rain to swamp a boat.”

“He gripped it and the sky began to spin; and Pidge knew that if he didn't put it right, the country would somehow obey the signpost and twist around and that, even though he was directly headed for Shancreg and home, he would end up in Kyledove.”