“He often wondered whether it were possible to be more possessed bydesire for any other woman. The fact was that they functioned welltogether, and they had a connection as addictive as heroin.”

“Sometimes they were together so often that it felt as though they really were a couple; sometimes weeks and months would go by before they saw each other. But even as alcoholics are drawn to the state liquor store after a stint on the wagon, they always came back to each other.”

“How did the world ever manage without me before I was born?' he wondered. 'Didn't they feel something was missing?”

“The world was all magic, and he had a special bottle of it in his right hand.”

“I’ve had many enemies over the years. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s never engage in a fight you’re sure to lose. On the other hand, never let anyone who has insulted you get away with it. Bide your time and strike back when you’re in a position of strength—even if you no longer need to strike back.”

“He was able to love them again, but he loved them now in a wiser way, knowing their weakness.”

“It seemed hardly feasible that anyone could tune an oil barrel, and even less credible that the barrel could make music like nothing else in the world. She thought those sounds were magic.”