“Now for a handful of guilders I happen to have a private and uncut performance of the rape of the Sabine Women - or rather woman, or rather Alfred -Get your skirt on Alfred!”

“Alfred, I need ice and that vitamin K goop. To the nursery. Stat.""I loathe you, Master Griffin," came a British accent over the intercom."Thanks, Alfred," Griffin answered and came back to the bed."Is your butler's name really Alfred?""No. It's Jamison, I think. Can't remember. I changed it to Alfred years ago. My first crush on a dude was Batman...”

“Those who say they would rather fight to the death than be raped are fools. I would rather be raped a thousand times. You do what you have to.”

“Alfred has trapped you, Uhtred.”“No,” I said, “the spinners did that.” Ur r, Ver andi, and Skuld, the three women who spin our threads at the foot of Yggdrasil, had decided my fate. Destiny is all. “I shall go to my woman,” I said.”

“Now, should we treat women as independent agents, responsible for themselves? Of course. But being responsible has nothing to do with being raped. Women don’t get raped because they were drinking or took drugs. Women do not get raped because they weren’t careful enough. Women get raped because someone raped them.”

“Suspicion," he said. "Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. He's a genius." "Starring Cary Grant." When Lucas gave me a look, I added, "You have your priorities, I have mine.”