“Peacocks have the bright feathers. Fish have the long tails. Women have the mall.”

“Ay, when fowls have no feathers and fish have no fin.”

“I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright.”

“It was strapless, the bodice peacock-blue and edged in gold, full skirted at the front and gathered into an elaborate, foaming bustle of satin and peacock feathers at the back. I insisted that every inch of bare skin was powdered with gold: my shoulders, décolletage, and the lower part of my face. The golden mask would cover my eye, and my lips were painted with more gold. I carried a golden fan that, when it was opened, revealed hundreds of eyes and looked exactly like a peacock's tail.”

“Women aren't very bright," Rip says. "Studies have been done.”

“If a Manx cat tells you that it is trying to preserve its long, beautiful tail, you don't have to believe it - especially if you have eyes.”