“It's okay to play turtle for a while, as long as you don't get too fond of your shell.”

“She didn't take it well, I guess," Jasper said. "Hard to deliver that kind of news." "No...no, you don't understand. But then you haven't met her." Slowly Rule looked up, relief blooming inside. He felt like he had as a small child, waking from some terrible nightmare to find his father's hand on his shoulder. The sudden bone-deep reassurance wasn't logical, wasn't reasonable. But it was real. "It's okay. It's good. Grandmother is coming.”

“Dogs make sense. They understand hierarchy and the need to cooperate. They come when you call them. A cat though—a cat will take your number and get back to you. Maybe. If he’s in a good mood.”

“But when you slice truth too thin, you deceive.”

“Uh - do you want to do it outside?"Frequently. Oh, you meant the wedding. That, too.”

“Isen wasn't a two birds with one stone kind of guy. More like one stone, two birds, a rabbit, a fox, and maybe that deer will trip over the fox and we can get him, too.”

“Anyone else asks how I’m doing I’ll say okay, and that wil be bullshit. It’s true, but it’ll stil be bullshit.”