“The Fatigues all talk like that. Big-Picture-speak, Risa calls it. Seeing the whole, and none of the parts. It's not just in their speech but in their eyes as well.When they look at Risa, she can tell they don't really see her. They seem to see the mob of Unwinds more as a concept rather than a collection of anxious kids, and so they miss all the subtle social tremors that shake things just as powerfully as the jets shake the roof.”

“The Admiral's using us," he says to the kids around him. "Don't you see that?"Most of the kids just shrug, but Hayden's there, and he never misses an opportunity to add his peculiar wisdom to a situation. "I'd rather be used whole than in pieces," Hayden says.”

“Don’t I have a choice in this?” But when she looks behind her, the answer isclear. There are two guards waiting to make sure that she has no choice at all.And as they lead her away, she thinks of Mr. Durkin. With a bitter laugh, Risarealizes that he may get his wish after all. Someday he may see her hands playingin Carnegie Hall. Unfortunately, the rest of Risa won’t be there.”

“It wasn't just that he didn't see the big picture, sometimes he saw a different picture entirely.”

“He (Connor) will only do the wrong thing when it's the right thing to do. - Risa”

“Looks are deceiving," Risa says. "After all, when I first saw you I thought you looked reasonably intelligent.”

“You don't like her, do you?" "Who, me? No, I love her dearly. Evil scheming bitches are my favorite kind of people." (Risa)”