“In my world travels, I saw a good many varieties of butterflies. They’re incredibly delicate creatures, but they shouldn’t be underestimated. Observing them as I did, I learned a valuable lesson. Sometimes if you surround a butterfly too closely, it couldn’t fly if it wanted to.”

“Were you really not frightened?""Sometimes I was terrified, but that was the whole point.""You wanted to be afraid?" She couldn't imagine deliberately putting herself in a position of fear.“I wanted to test my courage, my determination. It was a journey ofdiscovery, but it was more about what I discovered within myself. What Idiscovered about the world was simply a bonus.”“And what did you discover—about yourself, I mean?”“That I’m not nearly as weak as I thought, nor nearly as strong as I’dhoped.”

“She was twelve,” Claybourne went on, his voice flat, but the fury still simmering just beneath the surface. “Sold to a house of ill repute, one known for specializing in virgins. He was her first. As far as I know, her only. So yes, the four of us circle around her the way one might an injured butterfly, never touching it for fear of damaging it more, forever hoping that a day will come when it will again fly. If you harm her, in any manner, no matter how slight, you will answer to us. And while Graves might not have stopped by to issue a warning, don’t underestimate him. With that scalpel of his, he could slice out your heart and you’d never feel it.”

“Will it fade? The tattoo?”“No.”“Why would you want it on your shoulder like that, something that willforever be there?”“As I recall, I was quite drunk at the time and thought it a good idea.”“Why a dragon?”“Symbolic. We all face dragons in one way or another, at one time oranother.”“So it’s not a good thing.”“Depends whether or not we slay them. It all made perfect sensewhen I was drunk.”“Did you slay yours?”“I thought so at the time.”

“I told you to stay off that goddamn horse, but you wouldn’t listen! And I paid the price for your stubbornness. For forty-three days I traveled through hell, wanting that woman like I’ve never wanted anything in my life. For forty-three days, I drew your goddamn brand in the dirt to remind myself that she belonged to you, that she deserved the best of men. Think what you want of me, but never for one goddamn minute think less of her because you forced her into my company.”-Houston to Dallas”

“When I was much younger and lived in Claybourne’s residence, Luke’sgrandfather arranged an afternoon tea in the garden with a few of thegirls my age. They arrived in coaches and carriages and they were sobeautiful. Their laughter was soft and sweet, so very different from theharsh laugher in the rookeries. I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m going tobe like them.’“They hurt me that day without touching me. They taught me thatwords can slice like a knife. They wanted to know about life in therookeries, and I made the mistake of telling them that I slept with Lukeand Jack and Jim. And sometimes at night, I still slept with Luke. Theymade it into something ugly. It was really rather innocent. To lie in thecircle of someone’s arms while you sleep can be very, very nice. But Inever slept with them again. Never told them why. Those girls took thatfrom me. And I let them.”

“My friendship with Jack remains strained. I want to believe that he was duped, but he has always been far too clever to fall for another man's ruse. So we have added yet one more thing to our relationship about which we never speak. Sometimes I think we will break beneath the weight of it, but on those occasions I have but to look at my wife in order to find the strength to carry on. I am determined to be worthy of her and that requires that I be a far stronger and better man than I had ever planned to be.We see Frannie from time to time, not as often as we'd like unfortunately. She did eventually marry, but that is her story to tell.Dear Frannie, darling Frannie.She shall always remain the love of my youth, the one for whom I sold my soul to the devil. But Catherine, my beloved Catherine, shall always be the center of my heart, the one who, in the final hour, would not let the devil have me.”