“Solin seemed to take his brother's challenge in stride as heturned to Geary. "So tell me, lovely lady, where on earth didyou happen to find my wayward brother?"She glanced at Arik over her shoulder to see him watchingher before she answered."Floating in the sea, but he won't tell me how it is he came tobe there.""Knowing Arik, I'm sure he angered someone who threw himin, hoping he'd drown.""Actually they threw me in hoping I'd land on someone elseand drown them.Unfortunately, you swam away too fast.”

“Yes, but I’ve already made my fortune in other things. (Solin)Such as? (Geary)Viagra. My brother learned to take a personal problem and profit by it. (Arik)It’s true. It pained me to see a man as young as Arik stricken with impotency. Therefore I had to do something to help the poor soul. But alas, there’s nothing to be done for it. He’s as flaccid as a wet noodle. (Solin)How creative of you to project your problem onto me. But then, they say celibacy is enough to make a man lose all reason. Guess you’re living proof, huh? (Arik)”

“Anything to piss you off, Brother. Why else? (Arik)Oh, that’s easy enough to do. Basically the fact that you breathe does that. (Solin)Love you, too. (Arik)Of course you do, like a plague on your privates. (Solin)”

“Thank you, Geary. (Arik)For what? (Geary)For giving me a life that is the best dream I’ve ever had. (Arik)”

“Don’t you have a girlfriend or family you’d rather be with? (Geary)Only Solin, and honestly, he’s not this soft. Even if he was, it’d be gross. (Arik)”

“When Kai fell silent, she risked a glance at him. He was staring at her hands [which she always holds mechanic gloves over to hide her...you know, cyborg hands]..."Do you ever take those off?" he asked."No."Kai tilted his head, peering at her as if he could see right through to the metal plate in her head..."I think you should go to the ball with me."She clutched her fingers..."Stars," she muttered. "Didn't you already asked me that?""I'm hoping for a more favorable answer this time and I seem to be getting more desperate by the minute.""How charming."Kai's lips twitched. "Please?""Why?""Why not?""I mean, why me?"Kai hooked his thumbs on his pockets. "So if my escape hover breaks down, I'll have someone to fix it?”