“Grover cradeled his laurel sapling in his hands. "Well . . . sure is good to be back together again. Arguing. Almost dying. Abject terror. Oh, look It's our floor”

“Well . . . sure good to be together again. Arguing. Almost dying. Abject terror. Oh, look. It's our floor.”

“We’ll be back,” he said. I had to admire how well he controlled the abject terror in his heart. “I’ll be waiting,” Grandmother replied.”

“He held his hands tightly together and cursed his daughter for bringing the terrible world, with its humiliation and longing, back to his door.”

“Well, well, so you aren't going to be a maidservant this time?" said Pippi, stroking his back. "Oh, that was a lie, that's true," she continued. "But still, if it's true, how can it be a lie?" she argued. "You wait and see, it's going to turn out he was a maidservant in Arabie after all, and if that's the case, I know who's making the meatballs at our house hereafter!”

“Almost sure wasn't good enough. Almost sure, in my experience, is the shortest road to oh fuck.”