“..., her mouth working mutely like the valve of an undersea creature”

“Imagine that your mouth is a water spout. When you open the valve (speak), whatever comes out is an indicator of what's inside of you.”

“Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures.”

“A world of automata – of creatures that worked like machines – would hardly be worth creating.”

“As he spoke and bent his head to hers, their lips meeting and the soft, warm creatures of their mouths joining blissfully, his eyes glittered and shone, brighter for a moment than the sun that rose like a crystal, whole and complete in the sky.”

“Shura,” she whispered. “I’m going to have a baby.”At first she didn’t think Alexander heard her, he was mute so long. “You what?” he said in horror.“I’m going to have a baby,” she mouthed, her shoulders quaking, her swollen lips quivering.”