“Plastic is essentially frozen gasoline.”

“As soon as you're sure you're right, there's no point in your being here.”

“I mean, who wants to be the fucking goddess of macrame?”

“The sight of the bare katana inspires everyone to a practically Nipponese level of politeness”

“Unfortunately, this category of secret is itself so secret that it's very existance is secret, and he can't actually reveal it to anyone.”

“Many a ship's officer, caught in a storm or battle, and seized by a natural tendency to freeze up in terror, was moved to action by the vivid helplessness of his crew.”

“For most of the day and night, time oppresses me. It is only when I am at work on the innards of a clock-or a lock-that time stops.""The clock stops, you mean.""No. Time stops, or so it seems. I do not sense its passage. Then something interrupts me-I become aware that my bladder is full, my mouth dry, my stomach rumbling, the fire’s gone out, and the sun’s gone down. But there before me on the table is a finished clock-" now suddenly a snicker from the mechanism, and a deft movement of his hands. "Or an opened lock.”