“You’re my gold, nahna xaxsah is my hahnee rah. Kay jahnan nahna lisa, na uvan tee luh kay. Ana kay jahnan nahna pahnsahna, Circe. Kay nayeesan tee. Fahzah.You’re my gold, your cunt is my liquid gold. I will have your mouth, you will give it to me. Then I will have your spirit, Circe. I will own it. Always.”

“Then I whispered, “I love you, my Lahn,” and heard the swift hiss of his intake of breath. Then he buried his face in my neck and whispered back, “Loot kay hansahnalay na, my Circe.” And I love you, my Circe.”

“—I probably shouldn’t tell you this, I said.—Kay-Kay, those are my six favorite words in the English language.”

“You are so vicious. (Tee)Hence the nickname. (Syd)You know it’s bad when you make me look like Glinda the Good Witch, right? (Tee)Just call me Elphaba. But don’t drop a house on me, ‘kay? (Syd)”

“Where’s your sketch pad?” I asked.… “I gave that up,” Kay said. “I wasn’t very good, so I changed my major.”“To what?”“To pre-med, then psychology, then English lit, then history.”“I like a woman who knows what she wants.”Kay smiled. “So do I, but I don’t know any.”

“And,” Kay adds as her final touch, “Christian Prescott is my boyfriend.”I dislike her already.”