Nothing looks as self-satisfied as a contented cat.

I had refused Emerson's well-meant offers of assistance, knowing his efforts would be confined to moving the furniture to the wrong places and demanding how much longer the process would take.

I have learned that particularly clever ideas do not always stand up under close scrutiny.

I would never have supposed that inexperienced girl was capable of such cold-blooded, calculating manipulation!

Everything has happened before - not once, but over and over again. We may not be able to solve our problems through what are pompously called "the lessons of history," but at least we should be able to recognize the issues and perhaps avoid some of the solutions that have failed in the past. And we can take heart in our own dilemma by realizing that other people in other times have survived worse.

I do hope you have some money. I'm getting tired of hitting people.

...Nefret said with a gusty sigh, 'Well, that's done it. We may as well join in, Ramses, family arguments are the favorite form of amusement here and this looks like being a loud one.