“It had been no struggle to turn his face to the south and leave it behind — but it had hurt his heart.”

“He felt as if someone had reached into his chest and cut off a tiny piece of his heart and made him eat it.His heart tasted very bitter to him, and he hated Peter more than ever, although part of him still loved hishandsome older brother and always would.And although the taste had been bitter, he had liked it.Because it was his heart.”

“Then he closed his eyes and put his hands together again before his face, finger to finger. Johnny was struck by the kid's lack of pretension. There was a simplicity about the gesture that had been honed by use into beauty.”

“It would perhaps not be amiss to point out that he had always tried to be a good dog. He had tried to do all the things his MAN and his WOMAN, and most of all his BOY, had asked or expected of him. He would have died for them, if that had been required. He had never wanted to kill anybody. He had been struck by something, possibly destiny, or fate, or only a degenerative nerve disease called rabies. Free will was not a factor.”

“A person could see a lot without ever leaving his own living room. Especially if he had the right tools.”

“By the time he was done with the deer it had been dark three hours and his bad leg was singing 'Ave Maria'.”

“I do not kill with my gun;He who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.I kill with my heart.”