It turns out that one can perpetrate all manner of heinous villainy under a cloak of courtesy and good cheer. . .a man will forfeit all sensible self-interest if he finds you affable enough to share your company over a flagon of ale.

Boredom can be a lethal thing on a small island.

That's the scary thing about hope," she said. "If you let it go too long it turns into faith.

The angel has confided in me that he is going to ask the Lord if he can become Spider-Man. [...] The children need heroes, he says. I think he just wants to swing from buildings in tight red jammies.

The netherworld is timeless and unchanging, and boring -- much like a doctor's waiting room.

Hope is merely another face of desire.

So Now You're Death: Here's What You'll Need