“There are no coroners in Paraguay.”

“Coroner's inquest: death by drowning. And he hasn't been to the sea-shore in ten years.”

“I think this guy’s dead,” the coroner said, scooting another inch or two, to be safe.“There’s something wrong here,” Tom said. They both looked at him.“No, I’m pretty sure of it,” the coroner said. “That bullet hole, for one thing. Plus, he’s not breathing. That’s the kind of thing we look for.”

“Always remember that the crowd that applauds your coronation is the same crowd that will applaud your beheading. People like a show.”

“Eerily, the coronation was kind of a reverse of Tatianaʹs funeral. What was the old saying? The queen is dead. Long live the queen”

“They ought to do away with divorce settlements. Instead, both parties should flip a coin. The winner gets to stay where he or she is and keep everything. The loser goes to Paraguay. That´s it.”