“Berners-Lee was supremely lucky in the work environment he had settled into, the Swiss particle physics lab CERN. It took him ten years to nurture his slow hunch about a hypertext information platform.”

“The clever people at CERN are smashing particles together in the hope that Doctor Who will turn up and tell them to stop”

“Young writers if they are to mature require a period of between three and seven years in which to live down their promise. Promise is like the mediaeval hangman who after settling the noose, pushed his victim off the platform and jumped on his back, his weight acting a drop while his jockeying arms prevented the unfortunate from loosening the rope. When he judged him dead he dropped to the ground.”

“Her body clenched with hot desire, and without thinking she bathed Jacques’ mind in her heat. She saw his body hunch, as if someone had physically punched him. Guilt stirred for a moment, but then he was stroking her throat, his mental touch every bit as exciting in her state of arousal as his physical one.Gregori straightened up slowly and inhaled sharply, turned to glare at Jacques.”

“Because I lacked a stable and nurturing home environment, I sought escape. As I mentioned before, my escape often took the form of experimentation.”

“He took it for granted that she was content; and she resented his settled calm, his serene dullness, the very happiness she herself brought him.”