“Sophie, what will you do to help Josh,to save him, to bring him back?" Tsagaglalal asked."Anything. Everything." Perenelle leaned forward to place both forearms on the table. Her hands were tightly locked together, knuckles white with tension. "And Sophie, what do you think I will do to help my husband?""Anything," Sophie said again. "Everything.""We will do anything-everything-to help those we love. That is what seperates the humani from the Next Generation of the Elders or those who came before them. That is what makes us human.That is why the race thrives; it is why the race will always survive.""But that type of love requires sacrifice," Tsagaglalal said slowly. "Sometimes extraordinary sacrifices..."The old woman's gray eyes suddenly swam with huge tears. And Sophie had a flickering memory of a woman-younger, so much younger, but with the same high cheekbones and gray eyes of Tsagaglalal-turning away from a tall golden statue. The woman stopped and looked back, and Sophie discovered that the statue's bright gray eyes were alive and were following the woman. Then Tsagaglalal turned and raced down endless glass stairs. She was clutching a book in both hands: the Codex. And her tears dripped onto the metal surface.”

“Sophie held the [hand]cuffs higher, hopint to instill some sense of shame, if not in him, then at least in herself. One look at him and she wanted him again. "I found them in the bed.""That makes sense," Phin said. "That's where I lost them.""I'd ask what you were doing with them," Sophie said, trying not to sound bitchy, "but I probably don't want to know, do I?""Sure you do. It was exciting and different and depraved." Phin nodded toward the stairs. "Go put them someplace we can find them, and I'll show you later.”

“Well, what? Sophie-""I hit her on the head with a mirror," Sophie said hopelessly. "One of those silver-backed ones, so it was quite heavy. She went down just like a stone, miss. So I...I tied her to the bed and I came looking for you.”

“Sophie stood there all perky with her hands on her hips in a model-like stance, and a smile that showed way too many pearly whites…and a helium balloon that shouted It’s A Boy!!!“Nice balloon, Sophie,” he said, slightly amused. “What?” she asked, all innocently. “They were out of Get Well.”The hell they were. This little stunt was so Sophie. I knew exactly what that balloon meant – that I came into this hospital alone but I was gonna leave it with a boy wrapped in my arms. Sophie probably thinks he’s ready to suckle my breasts too.”

“She's alive," Thomas said, not opening his eyes."What?" Will was caught off guard."The one you come back for. Her. Tessa. She's with Sophie.”

“Oh, yes, of course,” he said hastily. He gestured for Sophie to come closer. “Lance, this is Sophie. She helped me out when you and the others ran out on me, and she’s been travelling with me ever since. Sophie, this is Lord Lance the Lazy. You’ll never meet a person lazier than him. Watch as he asks you to come forward so he can kiss your hand.”“Don’t be ridiculous, Oliver, I wouldn’t ask her to come forward,” Lance scoffed. And then after a momentary pause, he added to Sophie, “Incidentally, if I do ask you to come forward, would you oblige?”