“He was silent for a moment, staring out the window into the rain; I imagined he was contemplating the fact that his family's presence was turning the locals into giant dogs.”

“He stared out across the lake. And suddenly he felt the fire and iron of her presence, a moment before the water began to churn.Little One Kemir, I am hungry.”

“He wanted to heave the glasses against the wall. Break them, break everything he could reach. Beat it, rend it. He stared out the window, imagined the city in flames, consumed to ashes. And still it wasn't enough.”

“For a moment we sit in silence. Eventually, I turn to him and say, "Do you believe in God?" His eyes narrow for a moment and he stares at me at me for a while. Stares in a rather intense way, like a doctor looking at a troubling X-ray. Then he looks out the and says in a voice like shattered glass, "Only in storms.”

“The full tigers watched him silently. All females. Thankfully. He would be less than happy if he had to take on some territorial male.Well, this little adventure was only going to last through today. As soon as night came, he would get his furry ass out of here. Even if he had to scare some poor security guard to death. Then he would be heading to California. He had some dog butt to kick.Sighing, Nik looked up to find a small child staring at him. A small child busy picking his nose.Could this get any worse?The females stirred restlessly near him and he caught the scent they had.Oh no. Please. Not that.They stood in front of him, completely unaware of his presence and arguing like two ten-year-olds.Nik didn't bother searching for a way out. There was no way out. Those two evil witches trapped him. Trapped him in hell.Throwing up his hands in anger, Alek turned away from Ban, facing the tiger display. Alek's gold eyes stared at Nik for a moment, a frown of confusion pulling his brows down. Then he smiled. And then he just became plain hysterical.Bastard! This wasn't and never would be funny!Ban stared at Alek for several confused moments before catching sight of Nik.As his brothers literally rolled on the ground laughing hysterically--and freaking out all the zoo visitors--Nik seethed”

“For a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder.”