“The hippogriff took off into the air. . . . He and his rider became smaller and smaller as Harry gazed after them . . . then a cloud drifted across the moon. . . . They were gone.”

“Smaller World:I know he's not really gone, she said, but the world still feels smaller to me today.”

“Sixty trillion years ago a god-scientist dug a hole through the earth, filled it with dynamite and blew the earth in two. The smaller of these two pieces became the moon.”

“When?' said the moon to the stars in the skySoon' said the wind that followed them allWho?' said the cloud that started to cryMe' said the rider as dry as a boneHow?' said the sun that melted the groundand 'Why?' said the river that refused to runand 'Where?' said the thunder without a soundHere' said the rider and took up his gunNo' said the stars to the moon in the skyNo' said the trees that started to moanNo' said the dust that blunted its eyesYes' said the rider as white as a boneNo' said the moon that rose from his sleepNo' said the cry of the dying sunNo' said the planet as it started to weepYes' said the rider and laid down his gun”

“In the closed circle of the war cabinet, pounded by terrible report after terrible report, there had been uncertainty about whether he could fend off the drift to exploring a deal with Hitler. The determination of the larger group trumped the tentativeness of the smaller, and Churchill fulfilled his role as leader by disentangling himself from defeatism--one of his singular achievements at the end of May 1940.”

“If a man does not use his member it grows smaller and smaller until one day he wants to piss and cannot find it.”