“He'd always thought Roag was one rat short of a plague.”

“A creative writing teacher at San Jose State used to say about clichés: 'Avoid them like the plague.' Then he'd laugh at his own joke. The class laughed along with him, but I always thought clichés got a bum rap. Because, often, they're dead-on. But the aptness of the clichéd saying is overshadowed by the nature of the saying as a cliché.”

“The rat is always right.”

“Besides, thinking kind thoughts about Valek could be extremely dangerous. I could admire his skills, and be relieved when he was on my side in a fight. But for a rat to like the cat? That scenario ended only one way. With one dead rat.”

“There have been as many plagues as wars in history; yet always plagues and wars take people equally by surprise.”

“Can't be part of the rat race when you're one of the rats who knows you're in a cage.”