“The air currents must have steered me wrong, for I ended up far off course, and by "far off course" I mean "headed in the opposite direction entirely.”

“If you go off on her, you'd better record it, you know. Video, not just audio. Or it didn't happen as far as I'm concerned.”

“You're...very resilient, for someone who's dead." Her voice was a little steadier."And I think you're far stronger than any of us were prepared to give you credit for." I kept shooting my mouth off like an idiot, telling her things I'd been ordered not to, and she kept going with it. I was impressed, honestly.”

“I heard my father trail off, my face hidden in Bram's chest."Ah...I should have told you about that," Samedi said, sounding a trifle embarrased. Bram urged me back again and bent down to give me another peck on the lips, a calmer one. I melted into it."You do realize that this is wrong?" Bram joked. I opened my eyes and found him looking at me as if he wanted to rememorize my face."So,so wrong," I agreed, reaching up to finger another new cut he'd acquired on his hairline. The skin along his right cheek was lightly singed. He was still the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen."No, it's all right, Samedi," I heard Dad chuckling. "It's all right.”

“I was terribly, painfully present in the world, and so far removed from it.”

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

“No, not really. But …” Okay, I couldn’t help but gloat a little. “She likes me.”Samedi didn’t even look at me. “Well of course, you’ve had that bloody uniform on all day. I was half ready to tell you how much I liked you.”