“If you are going to do that, would you mind not jostling the bed so much?' came a sarcastic voice near the head board. 'Perhaps you could roll around on the floor.”

“I closed my eyes instead. And Puck kissed me.“If you are going to do that, would you mind not jostling the bed so much?”came a sarcastic voice near the headboard. “Perhaps you could roll around on the floor.”Blushing furiously, I looked up. Grimalkin lay on the pillow, watching us witha bemused, half-lidded stare. Puck followed my gaze and let out an explosive sigh.“Did I ever mention how much I hate cats?”“Do not blame me, Goodfellow.” Grimalkin blinked, managing to soundbored and indignant at the same time. “I was minding my own business long before you and theprincess started humping like rabbits.”

“My mind was a mess back then as I drove across the country. I was driving to clear my head, and all I could do was obsess on my uncertain future. It's like you're at a crap game, and on your biggest roll, the dice go in slow motion. For months, you watch them spin and roll and bounce around, waiting for them to land so you know if you're awinner or a loser. Total limbo.”

“I was hoping that perhaps I could roll with you...""You cannot roll with me," said the Big O, "but perhaps you can roll by yourself.”

“What people don't understand when you've already been a suicide and pulled through is that after the sadness comes fear: Where is my mind going with this? I don't want to die. I do not want to die. When you don't have so much control over your own thoughts, over the myriad voices in your head, you don't know where they could go.”

“What is withdrawal?""Let's see, since you know your scripture so well, was that Onan? Yes, that bugger. What he did.""Spilling his seed on the floor?""Yes," continued her husband, "it would be lovely if I could take you and spill my seed somewhere else. Not on the floor, mind you. But perhaps on your very soft belly. Perhaps even on your splendid breasts. and perhaps, if I'm in a really terrible mood, I'll make you swallow it.- Vere to Elissande”