“If your brother can't 'old 'is own against a bunch of orphans, 'e'd best leave off playing 'azard altogether!”
“Tell me, Theodore, were you playing against orphans, by any chance?”
“Does your family play games, too?" She tries to sound off-hand."No. Just me - and my brother."Which means her parents are in the casinos, then, leaving this kid in a collapsing mine. Okay, a virtual one, but still.”
“I'm an orphan now, thought Charlotte. No matter how old you are, when your parents are gone, you are alone - an orphan.”
“You can't sweep other people off their feet, if you can't be swept off your own.”
“Thanks a bunch, brother. Remind me to thank you with a fist in your fool face.”