“David, do you think if I had just evacuated several litres of amniotic fluid under the table I wouldn't mention it?”

“People will buy anything at jumble sales,' I said. 'At the Evacuated Children Charity Fair a woman bought a tree branch that had fallen on the table.”

“He sighed. "I don't think an apology will do, Mercy. Because an apology implies that you wouldn't do it again. And, under the circumstances, you wouldn't do anything differently, would you?"No.”

“David!" Xander yelled, because he had to yell something. His eyes snapped back to the figure in the upstairs doorway, but it was gone. "What do you want?" David asked."I...were you just upstairs?""I haven't looked up there yet." "But I just saw you up there.”

“I think talent is like a water table under the earth—you tap it with your effort and it comes through you.”

“Why are you still wearing...?" Aya began. "Oh, that's not smart plastic? You're really an ugly?"David rolled his eyes and Shay said quietly, "David's never had any surge at all. But I wouldn't use the word ugly...Tally might eat you.”