“Why you sleeping on the ground out here, Mr. Boy Human? The Simi don’t think this is a safe thing to do. Someone might think you dead and steal something or they could kill you. Maybe not if they think you dead already, but then again, people do weird things all the time – like killing dead people even though they’re dead. Is that overkill or is that just dumb? Never mind. So you should probably get up soon and not sleep here. Did you lose your bed? Or are you one of them special people who don’t have a bed but sleep outside? Some of them can be real nice. Some even offer the Simi drinks, but akri says I can’t have any ‘cause it’ll give me indigestion. Not like rubber does, but worse. So says akri. (Simi)”

“If you don’t live though and drop dead from it, can the Simi eat you? Akri says the Simi can’t eat no living people, but he never said no doubt them newly dead people. Maybe that’s why he don’t let me near them fresh dead. (Simi)”

“I miss my family. (Gallagher)I miss mine too. My mama was good people. ‘Simi,’ she would say, ‘I love you.’ Akri loves me too. See, akri even gave me hornay warmers so my horns wouldn’t get cold. You want some hornay warmers too? (Simi)I don’t have horns. (Gallagher)I could give you some real colorful ones. Akri has some black ones, but he doesn’t let other people see them. (Simi)Ash has horns? (Gallagher)Oh my, yes. They are quite lovely. Not as lovely as mine, but they are still very nice. The Simi would say she hopes you see them, but if you ever did, you’d be dead and I think the Simi would miss you. You seem very nice too. (Simi)”

“Oh, see then, the Simi is not in trouble. I just kill the Greek god and all’s fine. (Simi)You can’t kill a Greek god, Simi. It’s not allowed. (Acheron)There you go again, akri, saying no to the Simi. Don’t eat that, Simi. Don’t kill that, Simi. Stay here, Simi. Go to Katoteros, Simi, and wait for me to call you. I don’t like being told no, akri. (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)”