“You said fucking two minutes ago,” Bruce protested.“Sure I did,” Joe said, his tone patronizing.“You did,” Bruce insisted. He was two tables away now, but apparently this was the argument that he didn’t want to let go.“I fucking doubt it,” Joe said”

“Chris just watches, but he can't keep his mouth shut for long. "Excellent, everyone is serving me. I'm glad you guys have finally figured out how it should be...now you just need to convince the world.”

“Let's leave it for tonight. Is it a decent hour for two middle-aged people to go to bed?' He held out his hand for her.Half an hour later he exclaimed, 'My God, where did you learn that?''I read a book once,' she answered.'Thank God for literate women,' he said fervently.”

“Truly, I did not intend to harm you, he said. That was never my intention.”

“But still, here are the words Despereaux Tilling spoke to his father. He said, "I forgive you, Pa!" And he said those words because he sensed that it was the only way to save his heart, to stop it from breaking in two. Despereaux, reader, spoke those words to save himself.”

“A wager?" I repeated."Yes," he said, and gave me a slow smile, bright with challenge. ..."Stake?" I asked cautiously. He was still smiling, an odd sort of smile, hard to define."A kiss." My first reaction was outrage, but then I remembered that I was on my way to Court, and that had to be the kind of thing they did at Court. And if I win I don't have to collect. I hesitated only a moment longer, lured by the thought of open sky, and speed, and winning."Done," I said.”

“Luce: But I thought you said I should stay away from the hard cases.Arriane: Rule number two — don't listen to me!”