“Her eyes, however, were every bit as hard and shiny as the varnish on Dad's desk."Sophie, there you are! Where have you been the past few days? We've hardly seen you.""A-around?" I stuttered, inwardly cringing. Oh,that was an awesome alibi.”

“Glinda waved dismissively. Then she tucked her hand against her mouth and bit her knuckles. It was hard to tell if her pretty ways were studied or innate. "Oh, oh," she managed, "I don't know that I'll see you again- and you remind me so of her.”

“What is it you would have of me?”His amber eyes were shiny and bright and filled with his heart as he stared at her. “I would have you, my love,” he breathed. “Every day for the rest of my life. I’ve come to marry you, Nyn. If you’ll have me.”

“If you became blind," I said, "if you were used to finding your way around a house and then, suddenly, one day had an accident--was attacked or something--and became blind, only then would you actually notice the furniture. It would always have been there, but you would never have been aware of it, you would just have gone around it. Only when something becomes hard to cope with do you see it. That's how you become aware of time--when it becomes hard to cope with.”

“Makes you grow up quick. Hard work makes you strong. I work hard every day; that's where I get my strength. That and knowing who I am.”

“-"Stop""I've tried. I can't. These past few days, not knowing if you were okay have been hell."-"I'm okay.""I'm not.”