The heavy smell of flower petals stroked the walls of my lungs.

It takes years to build up, it takes moments to destroy.

No, I don't want your money. The world moves less by money than by what you owe people and what they owe you. I don't like to owe anybody anything, so I keep to myself as much on the lending side as I can.

Everybody thinks I'm this delicate little girl. But you can't tell a book by it's cover.' To which she added a momentary smile.

I'm kind of a low-key guy. The spotlight doesn't suit me. I'm more of a side dish--cole slaw or French fries or a Wham! backup singer.

How much do you love me?' Midori asked. 'Enough to melt all the tigers in the world to butter,' I said.

And it was the kind of thing that loses the most important nuances when reduced to words. He had never told anyone about it, and he probably never would.