“They obeyed, as wise men do when a woman puts her foot down . . .”

“Night poured over the desert. It came suddenly, in purple. In the clear air, the stars drilled down out of the sky, reminding any thoughtful watcher that it is in the deserts and high places that religions are generated. When men see nothing but bottomless infinity over their heads they have always had a driving and desperate urge to find someone to put in the way.”

“And there was nothing you could do about a woman like that. She just turned herself into a hammer and you ran right into her.”

“down below the mines and sea ooze and fake fossil bones put there by a Creator with nothing better to do than upset archeologists and give them silly ideas.”

“Nanny's philosophy of life was to do what seemed like a good idea at the time, and do it as hard as possible. It had never let her down.”

“Some things are fairly obvious when it's a seven-foot skeleton with a scythe telling you them”

“Talent just defines what you do...It doesn't define what you are. Deep down, I mean. When you know what you are, you can do anything”