“I, Geric-Sinath of Gerhard, declare that you're beautiful and you're perfect and I'll slay any man who tries to take you from my side. Goose girl, may I kiss you?”

“...'Goose girl, may I kiss you?' She answered by... kissing him first.”

“I’m sorry, my lady,” said Geric, rubbing his arm. “But I failed to force an apology out of the offending goose.”

“Am I the moss on your bark, then?" Ani asked.Enna grabbed her around the waist and shook her affectionately. "You're the mossiest girl I know.”

“Geric," she called.He turned back around."What kind of flowers were they?""I don't rightly know," he said. He made faltering gestures with his hands, forming their size and shape from the air. "They were yellow, and smallish, and had lots of petals.""Thank you," she said. "They were beautiful.”

“Get back in my cot, girl," said Gilsa. "You're sickly."No, I'm not," said Ani.Oh, no? Well, maybe stubbornness is a sickness, did you ever think of that?”

“You're from where?""Lay'en. It's near Salt Lake City.""Spell that for me.""Um, that would be S-A-L-T-""No, the other one. The city you're from.""Oh. L-A-Y-T-O-N.""Ah-Lay-ton."That's what I said.""No you didn't. You just said, 'Lay'en.'""So I did. But just go ahead and pronounce 'aluminum' for me, Mr. British Man. How are you going to defend that piece of insanity? Why don't you spell it and count syllables and see if your al-um-in-ium makes sense whatsoever?"He bowed his head. "Touché...”