“I was banished,” said Reven proudly.“What for?” Elfwyn pressed.“The king said I was anathema.”“He doesn’t like athemas?”“Anathema means, like, accursed,” said Jinx. “Probably it was for robbing people.”

“I’ll accompany you too, fair lady,” said Reven. “I would fain meet your grandmother.”“You would what?” said Elfwyn.“He means he’d like to,” said Jinx. Some of the books in Simon’s house used old-fashioned words like that.”

“Hm. Didn’t you use to be a lot smaller?”“Yes,” said Jinx. “Because I used to be six.”

“The king killed his brother, who was actually king, so that he could be king. Then the dead king’s wife and baby disappeared, on account the baby would’ve been king, so the brother probably killed them, too. They do that kind of thing all the time, kings do. They can kill anybody they don’t like.”

“I’m not sure how people drink out of skulls,” Jinx added. Calvin had too many holes in him to make a good cup.”

“...if you spent all your time being protected, you never got to find out anything new.”

“Oh dear," said Sarah anxiously, "I do wish he wouldn't do these silly things."I'm sure we all wish that, Sarah," said Marcia sternly. "But unfortunately he has progressed rather further than the silly stage. Evil-minded-scheming stage is more what I would call it.”