“This is Morbidia," said Vlad. "Although she's been calling herself Tracy lately, to be cool.”

“Maria?... She's been writing all this down? Oh, bless her...' He leafed on through the pile. 'Although that's not how that happened... and no, she's wrong, bowties are cool.”

“Horton, the kangaroo has sent Vlad!'Vlad? I know two Vlads. One is a cute little bunny that brings me cookies. The other is bad Vlad. Which Vlad?'Which one do you think?'Bad Vlad?'Good call.”

“They knew each other. He knew her and so himself, for in truth he had never known himself. And she knew him and so herself, for although she had always known herself she had never been able to recognize it until now.”

“Although she didn't have the plumbing, she deluded herself that she was the modern W.C. (about Margaret Thatcher, M.T.)”

“although she went home that night feeling happier than she had ever been in her short life, she did not confuse the golf course party with a good party, and she did not tell herself she had a pleasant time. it had been, she felt, a dumb event preceded by excellent invitations. what frankie did that was unusual was to imagine herself in control. the drinks, the clothes, the instructions, the food (there had been none), the location, everything. she asked herself: if i were in charge, how could i have done it better?”