“The sudden loss of her father was like living with a wound that would never heal, yet her memories of him were fading more and more every day.”

“The queen is head. Long live the queen...me." The platoon of renegade soldiers cheered. Redd kicked The Cat where he lay on the floor, tongue lolling in his mouth, the picture of death. "Get up! You still have seven more lives."The Cat's eyes fluttered open.Find Alyss and kill her."With a wave of her hand, the looking glass was once again whole. The Cate jumped through, in prosuit of the only living Heart besides Redd.”

“I'd had a cold that day and wasn't as powerful as usual, otherwise Alyss would never have done so well," Redd said as, in the alcove, the final image dissolved. She blew at the cloud and it drifted out into the crypt. "Has a malicious ruler ever suffered more? I think not.”

“For now. But if I ever decide you're useless, you are a dead man."To be killed by you is to be desired more than a life excluded from your service."Bravo." Her Imperial Viciousness laughed with genuine feeling. "Bra-vo!”

“The only reason I don't kill him," he remember the woman saying, her voice sounding like the scrape of iron against iron, a corrosion of vocal cords, "is because he's not important enough.”

“Molly wants to know her father's name," Arch said to them. "Why don't you give her a hint?"His first name with 'splatter,'" said Ripkins.And 'matter'," said Blister.Also 'fatter,'" said Ripkins.Likewise 'chatter'," added Blister.And his surname?" Arch asked.It rhymes with 'that again'," said Ripkins.And 'Flanagan," put in Blister.Also, um...'pad a fin'?" offered Ripkins.Arch and Blister looked at him.'Pannikin!'" he said proudly.Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Molly screamed. "You don't know what you're talking about!”

“We're family," Alyss said.Redd snorted. "Is that supposed to mean something?"Family," Alyss said again, trying to convince herself more than Redd.Don't talk to me about family! You were never disowned by your parents!"I'd rather have been disowned by them then see them murdered.”