“He caught me stealing his golden phoenix.'Tithonus closed his eyes briefly. 'Good grief!' He opened them again. 'I was half hoping it wasn't true. Have you any idea of the implications?''He was mistreating it!' Pyrgus protested.'Of course he was mistreating it. This is Black Hairstreak we're talking about. He mistreats his own mother. I don't suppose you stole her as well?”

“His eyes were closing again, all of their own accord, so that he lay in red, pain-filled darkness. It occured to him that he was dying and he didn’t care. ‘He’s alive!’ Blue said again ‘He’s breathing!’ ‘I can’t see him breathing.”

“How do you get on with your father ' Beleth asked.'Very well ' Pyrgus answered loyally although it was far from the truth.'I ate mine ' Beleth told him. 'He got old and feeble and useless but he wanted to hold on to power. So I took steps. Tasted disgusting - stringy tough smelly ... you know how fathers are - but it's the custom here. You're supposed to absorb the essence that way. Rank superstition of course but well ... tradition.”

“Anybody could have seen you. I was just unlucky.' He realised what he'd said and added hurriedly, 'I mean not unlucky to have seen you that way. I mean you're very pretty, beautiful and all that, no spots or anything...' - Henry”

“He wondered if he might be in love, but realized it was far more likely he was dying.”

“Speaking of lunacy,' remarked Pyrgus later, 'are you in love with my sister?'Oh, yes!' Henry said at once.”

“The portals are certainly closed, so the demons aren't giving any trouble. Lots of talk about hands of friendship, doves of peace, all that sort of crap...”