“Does anyone in this land act like they're supposed to?”

“Never break a promise to an animal. They're like babies—they won't understand.”

“Ralon didn't make anyone else put his tack away?" Alex wanted to know. "You didn't see anything strange?" Alanna didn't look up. "No." It wasn't strange , she excused her lie mentally. Ralon does things like that all the time. ”

“Why do boys say someone acts like a girl as if it were an insult?”

“We could mate. In a year our nestlings would be large enough to mob anyone we like...Should I begin to court you? Do you like grubs or ants better?...I will be here. In case you change your mind about mating.”

“Didn't they realize that the only way to change things was to act?”

“Why does he speak of them that way?" The crow-man wanted to know. "They are humans, just like he is.""I don't think he sees them as just like him." Ally explained."He is foolish then," said Nawat. "There are more raka than Bronaus.”