“Now, Lily said, her burning voice bitter. Now you give me a choice. The ministar flared to life in her palm again. Thus do I choose, you son of a bitch. Knight of Winter, burn and die.”

“I am not going to live, and I can choose to be as much for her as I can be, to burn as brightly for her as I wish, and for a shorter time, than to burden her with someone only half-alive for a longer time. It is my choice, William, and you cannot make it for me.”

“Bad luck doesn't have any chinks in it," he said with deep bitterness. "I was born a son of a bitch and I'm going to die a son of a bitch.”

“I bet," said Mulch, "that you would set the world on fire just to watch it burn."Opal tapped the suggestion into a small electronic notepad on her pocket computer.Thanks for that. Now, tell me everything.”

“Goddess” he said. Her voice floated to us. Yes, Child.” Will I see you again?”Just her voice now, young and old at the same time. “In the face of every woman you meet”

“How do you know he's a friend? There might be a number of people looking for me."The creases around her eyes deepened. "I figure he's a friend, 'cause every now and then he calls,'Answer me, you stubborn son-of-a-bitch.”