“Twenty-five years ago I made my vow to love you and to live with you wherever you went," she whispered. "Since you're bound to go, I'd best keep my promise.”

“Sunset encroached upon daylight like a powder burst from the mouth of a crimson cannon—orange and gold ribbons shot forth to wage a battle against the clouds. The western horizon was obscured by a glow like a living thing.”

“Wow," she breathed."I know, right? Hung like a horse.""If you're really nice-and you live through this-I'll promise not to tell V.""About my size."She laughed a little, "No, that you assumed I'd look at you in any fashion other than professionally.”

“She closed her eyes. "What are you going to do with me now?""What do you suggest I do? What would you do with a tiresome, officious nuisance of a woman who is the first to question a man's word of honor, yet the last to keep her own?"Catherine started to turn, to challenge the accusation, but caught a glimpse of hard-thewed flesh and jerked back. "I hardly consider myself bound by honor to a murderer and a spy."He sighed and shook his head. "Then may I ask by what distorted logic you suppose a murderer and a spy would be expected to honor his gurantee?”

“I've always liked high school. I'm not deluded, of course. I know these aren't the best years of my life, but as a subject and experience, it's pretty interesting.”

“I have loved you for years. I have been in love with you for years and years and years ... throughout school and training ... before transitions and afterward ... when you approached me and yes, even now that you're with Saxton and you hate me. And that ... shit ... in my fucking head locked me down, locked everything down ... and it cost me you.”

“Mama, I know you used to ride the bus. Riding the bus and it’s hot and bumpy and crowded and too noisy and more than anything in the world you want to get off and the only reason in the world you don’t get off is it’s still fifty blocks from where you’re going? Well, I can get off right now if I want to, because even if I ride fifty more years and get off then, it’s the same place when I step down to it. Whenever I feel like it, I can get off. As soon as I’ve had enough, it’s my stop. I’ve had enough.”