“That was rather interesting,' Mercer said as he filled his coffee mug and passed the thermal carafe to John. 'What do you say for dinner? "Blessed be the serial killers, or else the devil would have no one to torment.”

“They forbade me to leave the island.” He brushed my hair back from my forehead. “ I thought it would be better if I stayed away, but I was wrong. Without you, I was lonely and miserable and empty. Every night I could think of nothing but you.”“ I know exactly what you mean” I saw one of the zookeepers peering into the bushes. “They’re coming. You should go.”“No.” he put his arms around my waist. “I’m not going to leave you again.”

“Do you know what a tre vie is, Juliana?”

“He had even read Pride and Prejudice--although he had thought that many of the heroine's problems would have been solved if someone had simply strangled her mother.”

“You have superpowers.I don't have supernerves so don't get on them.”

“Count yourself fortunate." He made an elegant sweep of his hand toward the sun. "Daylight does not make them turn to ash, but they become bloody damn infants, whinging on about irritated eyes and sluggish limbs and so forth.”

“And no man, not even Cyprien, could chase a girl with his pants down.”