“Yeah? Can you draw a skeleton riding a motorcycle with flames coming out of it? And I want a pirate hat on the skeleton. And a parrot on his shoulder. A skeleton parrot. Or maybe a ninja skeleton parrot? No, that would be overkill. But it'd be cool if the biker skeleton could be shooting some ninja throwing stars. That are on fire.”

“What is it you’re interested in exactly?” the man askedslowly. “Just the color?”“I think we both know,” said Adrian cunningly. “I want thecolor. I want the ‘bonus effects.’ And I want it to lookbadass. You probably can’t even do the design I want.”“That’s the least of your worries,” said the guy. “I’ve beendoing this for years. I can draw anything you want.”“Yeah? Can you draw a skeleton riding a motorcycle withflames coming out of it? And I want a pirate hat on theskeleton. And a parrot on his shoulder. A skeleton parrot.Or maybe a ninja skeleton parrot? No, that would beoverkill. But it’d be cool if the biker skeleton could beshooting some ninja throwing stars. That are on fire.” “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” said thetattooist.“That’s not what the ladies are going to say,” said Adrian”

“Your past is a skeleton walking one step behind you, and your future is a a skeleton walking one step in front of you. Maybe you don't wear a watch, but your skeletons do, and they always know what time it is.”

“These are things you should learn. Your past is a skeleton walking one step behind you; your future is a skeleton walking one step in front of you. Maybe you don’t wear a watch, but your skeletons do, and they always know what time it is. Now, these skeletons are made of memories, dreams, and voices. And they can trap you in the in-between, between touching and becoming. But they’re not necessarily evil, unless you let them be.”

“Businesses are great structures for managing big projects. It’s like trying to develop the ability to walk without developing a skeleton. Once in a blue moon, you get an octopus, but for the most part, you get skeletons. Skeletons are good shit.”

“Then a skeleton came out from among the trees. It was the skeleton of a Union soldier, though the uniform it wore was so ragged and filthy it was difficult to identify. The sunken cheeks were covered with a thin scattering of fuzz; the hair was lank and matted. It fell over the skeleton's forehead and down into its eyes”