“Technically speaking, you drive like a rabid chicken who has hijacked a tractor.”

“Nick is driving us," Jamie informed him. "Nick has a car. Nick has TWO cars. Ha!”

“I realise people exist who don't read. But it's like I knew there were people who didn't breathe or eat: I can't imagine a life like that.”

“I'll drive both of you," Seb offered at once.Mae nodded at him with gratitude."No," Jamie said sternly. "I'm never getting into your horrible car. I promised myself that, because--it's horrible, and you're horrible. So take that!”

“I cook better than you," Nick corrected absently. "I think monkeys can probably be taught to cook better than you.""I'd like to have a monkey that cooked for me," said Jamie. " I would pay him in bananas. His name would be Alphonse.""I agree, that would be awesome." Mae said. "People would come for dinner just to see the monkey chef.""You're raving," Nick said, defrosting chicken in the microwave. Mae was a bit impressed with how he seemed to look at the appliance and instantly comprehend its mysteries, when she'd been heating up ready-made meals for years by a method of pressing random buttons and hoping. " I know that's the only way Jamie communicates with people, but I expected better of you, Mavis.""We're cutting out the whole Mavis thing right now, Nick," Mae said warningly."How many bananas would be good payment for a monkey?" Jamie wanted to know. " I would want to pay Alphonse a fair wage.”

“I want to burn the world because Alan is gone," he said. "I want to destroy everything I see. But you mean something to me. I will not destroy the world, because it has you in it.”

“I read books, but I do it because I want to - because it's like an escape in my head, like being with you.”