As soon as the seal was clear of the water, it reared up and its skin slipped down to the sand. What had been a seal was a white-skinned boy

Old wisdom out of the cluster of gathering shadows.

The first few glasses of beer were a revelation; they flushed my veins with happiness; they washed away all cares and shyness and worries. I remember thinking to myself, If I could have two pints of beer every afternoon, life would be a great happiness.

In Scotland, when people congregate, they tend to argue and discuss and reason; in Orkney, they tell stories.

Without the story - in which everyone living, unborn and dead, participates - men are no more than bits of paper blown on the cold wind.

As soon as the seal was clear of the water, it reared up and its skin slipped down to the sand. What had been a seal was a white-skinned boy