“Do you miss your dad?" And I said: "Who?”

“Watching TV Mum said, 'Do you miss your dad?' and I said, 'Who?”

“I miss you, dad.”

“When we passed a Catholic church, I recalled, he said, "You think your dad's a good chemist? They're turning soda crackers into meat in there. Can your dad do that?”

“Brother dear,” I said, “did your soul leave your body while Amos was talking, or did you actually hear him? Egyptian gods real. Red Lord bad. Red Lord’s birthday: very soon, very bad. House of Life: fussy magicians who hate our family because dad was a bit of a rebel, whom you could take a lesson from. Which leaves us—just us—with Dad missing, an evil god about to destroy the world, and an uncle who just jumped off the building—and I can’t actually blame him.” I took a breath. [Yes, Carter, I do have to breathe occasionally.]”

“But I want it done now, " said Miss Ophelia.What's your hurry?"Because now is the only time there ever is to do a thing in," said Miss Ophelia.”