“I felt like crawling off and finding a way to kick myself in the rear. One twist of the leg, might not be too hard.”

“Anyway, the sickness kick-starts the brain, reanimates the body after death. I could go into more detail,but you know, we have these great visual aids out here, which would really help me out...""Nice try."I heard him chuckle. I willed myself not to like the sound. And I undid one of the locks.”

“No. No more surprises. No more secrets. Or so help me, I will rip off your own leg and beat you with it.”

“The fact that she made this beeline for me both warmed my soul and made me want to turn around, walk out the door, and find a cliff to fling myself off of.”

“It was five minutes of screaming, slamming myself against the door, and stamping my feet-and a minute of contemplating the cold, horrible idea that I might have to leave the room to find anyone, and maybe this had been their plan all along, and Oh God, Oh God-before I heard Dr. Elpinoy's nervous voice.”

“Thirty minutes later we were in Aunt Gene's carriage, Pam compulsively adjusting her bonnet, me meditating upon all of the ways it might be possible to kill myself with the in-cab stylus.”

“It's not like I enjoy introducing myself as a creature from beyond the grave.”