“Yessir. A crutch, like one-legged men always have.”

“...a woman of quite bovine stupidity and potato-like contours...”

“there is no collective guilt,...guilt is individual, like salvation." [p.28]”

“It is cold at six-forty in the morning on a March day in Paris, and seems even colder when a man is about to be executed by firing squad.”

“… Shannon’s fingers itched to smash the man in the face. Inside his head he kept telling himself, Keep cool, baby, absolutely cool.”

“Words. I had always loved them. I collected them, like I had collected pretty stones as a child. I liked to roll words over my tongue like a lump of molten honeycomb, savouring the sweetness, the crackle, the crunch.”

“Please we would much rather sail free we mean you no harm I promise ” he floated upright in the water frowning then bowed his head in agreement. With a flick of their tails the blue men dived and were gone. “I promise ” Hannah breathed. Of course. “That’s a hard one to rhyme with. Scarlet Max and Donovan leapt up and down shouting with joy. “I knew you could do it” Scarlet shrieked. “It was just luck ” Hannah said “I didn’t have time to think. I just said the first thing that came into my mind. I could’ve said I swear and then he could have said pear or mare or square…” “That was amazing ” Donovan said. “You were so quick” I didn’t feel quick ” Hannah grinned ” I felt as thick as a brick.” “O goodness she cant stop ” Donovan said laughing.”