“The F word turns me on, she whispered. The F word?FoodHe threw back his head and laughed. It rumbled up out of his chest and felt so good it startled him. For the first time in years,his laughter was spontaneous. It wasn`t tinged with bitterness and cynicism.”

“It called to him, a sweet heady beacon of femininity, fertility, and fuckability. His three favorite f-words.”

“[Jack] “Don’t kid yourself for a f#cking second that I don’t feel anything for you.”Her lips parted in shock, but before she could get a word out, he covered them with his own. She made a high, startled sound in the back of her throat.Pleasure, red, blinding, exploded through him at the first taste. Sweet, spicy, better than all his fevered imaginings. Her lips soft and giving against him, her tongue delicious and moist as he sucked it into his mouth.”

“There was a moment's silence;and then to her bewilderment, Christopher suddenly went into one of his wild gusts of laughter. "F-f-fifty shillings?" he gasped " Oh Kate! Here I am the king at his death time , and you won't even let me spen fifty shillings!”

“Jesse slipped her arm beneath his head and clutched him to her.Her body began rocking slowly, and as she did so Rides the Wind lay still again. His chest rose,the nostrils flared,and with great effort,he whispered through clenched teeth, "I will come for you." Jesse wanted to cry out,to stop the words, to hold back his farewell.But she sat clutching him to her,rocking. "I will ask the Father.And I will come for you.”

“Enemy?’ Horus laughed. ‘When did they become the enemy? They are men like us.’ He glared up at the night sky, threw back his head and screamed a curse at the stars. Then his voice fell to a whisper. Loken was close enough to hear his words.‘Why have you tasked me with this, father? Why have you forsaken me? Why? It is too hard. It is too much. Why did you leave me to do this on my own?”