“Ah," said Mr Pin. "Right. I remember. You are concerned citizens." He knew about concerned citizens. Wherever they were, they all spoke the same private language, where 'traditional values' meant 'hang someone'.”

“Uh. . . why does your partner keep saying 'ing.' Mr Pin?"..."Speech impediment.' said Pin.”

“Mr Pin lit a cigar. Smoking was his one vice. at least, it was his only vice that he thought of as a vice. The others were just job skills.”

“But I don't believe in reincarnation!" he protested.SQUEAK.And this, Mr Pounder understood with absolute rodent clarity, meant: reincarnation believes in you.”

“He said it was better to belong where you don't belong than not to belong where you used to belong, remembering when you used to belong there.”

“In an instant he became aware that the tourist was about to try his own peculiar brand of linguistics, which meant that he would speak loudly and slowly in his own language.”

“I heard this story once," she said, "where this bloke got locked up for years and years and he learned amazin' stuff about the universe and everythin' from another prisoner who was incredibly clever, and then he escaped and got his revenge.""What incredibly clever stuff do you know about the universe, Gytha Ogg?" said Granny."Bugger all," said Nanny cheerfully."Then we'd better bloody well escape right now.”