“The first magic wave kicked the world in the face.”

“I do shodo magic,” Dali said. “I curse through calligraphy. I have to write the curse out on a piece of paper and I can’t move while I do it. One smudge, and I might kill the lot of us.”Oh good.“But don’t worry.” Dali waved her arms. “It’s so precise, it usually doesn’t work at all.”Better and better.”

“Magic could not be measured and explained in scientific terms, for magic grew through destroying the very natural principles that made science as people knew it impossible.”

“I'm going to kick you in the head when I get home. Repeatedly.”

“Syphilis. Lots and lots of magically delicious Syphilis.”

“I wondered if kicking him in the head would make the whole explanation pop out of his mouth in one chunk.”

“My point is, I would never hurt you or your family.”I raised my chin at him. “If you tried to hurt my mother, I would totally kick your ass.”“Aha.”“Yes. You would be lying on the ground, crying, ‘No more, no more,’ and I would be kicking you in the stomach, wham, wham, wham!” He laughed softly.”