“I felt that if a man's proposals met with approval, it should encourage him; if they met with opposition, it should make him fight back; but the real tragedy for him was to lift up his voice among the living and meet with no response neither approval nor opposition just as if he were left helpless in a boundless desert.”

“I thought: hope cannot be said to exist, nor can it be said not to exist. It is just like roads across the earth. For actually the earth had no roads to begin with, but when many men pass one way, a road is made.”

“You know, sometimes I wonder what things would be like if I just ... met you one day. Like normal people do. If I just walked by you on some street one sunny morning and thought you were cute, stopped, shook your hand, and said, "Hi, I'm Daniel.”

“Day leans in toward me. He reaches up to touch my face. I can tell it still hurts him to use his fingers, and his nails are dark with dried blood. "You're brilliant," he says. "But you're a fool to stay wish someone like me."I close my eyes at the touch of his hand. "Then we're both fools.”

“The boy speaks up. When he does, there's such a tender quality to his voice that I can't help looking up at him. "I don't know if anyone's ever told you this," he begins. He doesn't blush,and his eyes don't dart away. Instead I find myself staring into a pair of oceans-one perfect,the other blemished by that tiny ripple. "You're very attractive."I've been complimented on my appearance before.But never in his tone of voice.Of all the things he's said,I don't know why this catches me off guard. But it startles me so much that without thinking I blurt out, "I could say the same about you." I pause. "In case you didn't know."A slow grin spreads across his face. "Oh,trust me.I know.”

“You should have taken me with you," I whisper to him. Then I lean my head against his and begin to cry. In my mind, I make a silent promise to my brother's killer.I will hunt you down. I will scour the streets of Los Angeles for you. Search every street in the Republic if I have to. I will trick you and deceive you, lie, cheat and steal to find you, tempt you out of your hiding place, and chase you until you have nowhere else to run. I make you this promise: your life is mine.”

“You may claim no affiliation with them, but perhaps some have crossed your path.And perhaps you'd like to help us find them.""Oh,sure.You killed my mother. You can imagine I'm dying to help you out."Thomas manages to ignore me again. He glances at the first photo projected on the wall. "Know this person?"I shake my head. "Never seen him before."Thomas clicks the remote. Another photo pops up. "How about this one?""Nope."Another photo. "How about this?""Nope."Yet another stranger pops up on the wall. "Seen this girl before?""Never seen her in my life."More unfamiliar faces. Thomas goes through them without blinking an eye or questioning my responses. What a stupid puppet of the state. I watch him as we continue, wishing I weren't chained so I could beat this man to the ground.”