“Die in winter woods," roared Tarin, as if it were his mostfervent wish. He was losing it again. Since being caught, hehad seen a boy with no balls or toes, a finger had been in hisass twice, he'd been cooked, made to wear clothes, walked onwinter-lake stuff, wasted his gift, was going to have his toothpulled out and—scat—and he was being laughed at.”

“What the Lady was happening? The man had his mouth smashing on Tarin's, and his tongue was shoving at Tarin's tongue. Tarin tried to scream. The men did eat boys. It wasn't just a scary fire-rumor. He bucked his body and writhed. He was going to be consumed alive!"Lady!" he bawled like a little kid. It sort of worked. The man moved his mouth and laughed."Now, no fussing. I won't hurt you if you're a good boy.""Don't eat me," moaned Tarin. He was too scared to be brave. This was why no boys ever escaped from the Before Times buildings. The men ate them! No wonder men were so sleek and strong. They had boy meat to get them through the winter”

“Wake up and fuck me," demanded Tarin. "I thought your bum hurt?"Tarin squirmed. "Want cock, too. Fall out a tree, climb it again.”

“I am shocked both that I hurt him and that my shoe hit him, because I do throw like the proverbial girl. I hurl stuff around secure in the knowledge I’ll miss my target.”

“He'd done as he'd pleased and even had often enjoyed long runs of luck where he hadn't been caught. But the luckiest moment of his life had been being caught.”

“Sin has always been an ugly word, but it has been made so in a new sense over the last half-century. It has been made not only ugly but passé. People are no longer sinful, they are only immature or underprivileged or frightened or, more particularly, sick.”

“He glanced down at the blood-smeared cut on his side...and realized he wasn't wearing any clothing. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't realized it already. Kind of obvious. It wasn't like he'd been going to take time out to find his clothing before stopping Liam.”