“It’s hard to look in charge when you’re hunched over like Quasimodo.”

“Was that amazing?” she demanded.“That was amazing,” I agreed. It’s hard to pull off a romantic kiss when you’re both drenched in muck, but we gave it our best shot.”

“When I was alive, I mean the first time, Mussolini was in charge. We were at war.”“Mussolini?” Leo frowned. “Wasn’t he like BFFs with Hitler?”

“It's hard to enjoy practical jokes when your whole life feels like one.”

“Anubis frowned. He locked his very nice eyes with mine. “You’re not dead.”“No,” I said. “Though we’re trying awfully hard.”

“The dead are hard to look at. Their faces shimmer. They all look slightly angry or confused. they will come up to you and speak, but their voices sound like chatter, like bats twittering. Once they realize you can't understand them, they frown and move away.The dead aren't scary. They're just sad.”

“You know how hard it is to feel like an extreme falcon-headed combat machine when somebody calls you "chicken man"?”