“He smiled and bent forward, a hand on each knee, his truculence gleaming through his smile like a stone under water.”

“Then he's here, emerging from the water like some kind of myth, some fabled Ai'oan god, his hand smoothing his wet hair back from his face, his chest and shoulders gleaming with water and moonlight. Behind him, a pale shimmering trail of blue light marks his passage through the water. His wet shorts hang a bit lower on his hips than they usually do, tempting my imagination. He extends the flower, which I take with trembling fingers. (...)He smiles a small, crooked smile, and I think he knows exactly how tightly he's bound my tongue in knots. I suspect fetching me the passionflower was only half his purpose in swimming through the glowing pool.”

“His gratitude widened his smile and bent his back.”

“I dropped to my knees beside him, touching his cheek.It was felt cool and clammy under my hand. "This is...what I get...for coming early," he gasped out, trying to smile at me."Please don't joke and bleed at the same time," I said as I gently lifted his hands from his chest.”

“Jem put the full force of himself into each smile, so that he seemed to be smiling with his eyes, his heart, his whole being.”

“He stopped, turned. He cupped his hands around his mouth. ''For you a thousand times over!'' he said. Then he smiled his Hassan smile and disappeared around the corner.”