I have two Iceland horses, a very hairy dog called Looney, and a guinea pig.

Nothing chased nightmares away faster than the rustle of printed paper.

Killing is easy," said Mo, "Dying is harder.

Farid had brought an invisible guest with him. Fear.

The book she had been reading was under her pillow, pressing its cover against her ear as if to lure her back into its printed pages.

This world,' she said. 'Do you really like it?' What a question! Farid never asked himself such things. He was glad to be with Dustfinger again and didn't mind where that was. It's a cruel world, don't you think?' Meggie went on. 'Mo often told me I forget how cruel it is too easily.' With his burned fingers, Farid stroke her fair hair. It shone even in the dark. 'They're all cruel,' he said. 'The world I come from, the world you come from, and this one, too. Maybe the people don't see the cruelty in your world right away, it's better hidden, but it's there all the same.

Words were useless. At times, they might sound wonderful, but they let you down the moment you really needed them. You could never find the right words, never, and where would you look for them? The heart is as silent as a fish, however much the tongue tries to give it a voice.