“She doesn’t want me to own her. (Dante)Well, the Simi doesn’t understand that. Owning’s not so bad. I own akri and he kind of fun. (Simi)”

“No, Simi. No food. (Acheron)No, Simi. No food. The Simi don’t like this, akri. Katoteros is boring. There’s nothing fun there. Only old dead people who want to come back here. Bleh! (Simi)Simi...(Acheron)I hear and obey, akri. The Simi just never said she would do so quietly. (Simi)”

“I would like to barbecue those Olympian gods. They are very tasty. One day, I’m going to eat that redheaded goddess, too. (Simi)She doesn’t like Artemis. (Astrid)The Simi hates her, but akri says, ‘No, Simi, you can’t kill Artemis. Behave, Simi, don’t shoot fire at her, don’t make her bald, Simi.’ No, no, no. It’s all I hear. I don’t like that word. ‘No.’ It even sounds evil. The Simi tends to barbecue anyone dumb enough to say it to her. But not akri. He’s allowed to say no to me; I just don’t like it when he does. (Simi)”

“Hey. (She took his chin in her hand so that she could move his head back and forth while she examined him.) You’re hurting in there. That would make akri very sad. He doesn’t like for his Dark-Hunters to hurt and the Simi don’t like it when akri is sad. Why are you hurt? (Simi)”

“What happened in his village that Artemis doesn’t want Zarek to know about? (Astrid)I don’t know. She’s all paranoid all the time anyway. Afraid akri is going to leave and not come back, which I keep telling him to do. But does he listen? No. ‘She’s not your concern, Simi. You don’t understand, Simi.’ I understand, all right. I understand the bitch-goddess needs the Simi to barbecue her until she learns to be nice to people. I think she’d be rather attractive on fire. I could make her look like that old sea hag or something. (Simi)”

“Why are you so sad, akri? (Simi)I’m not sad, Simi. (Acheron)Yes you are. I know you, akri, you gots that pain in your heart like the Simi gets whenever she cries. (Simi)”