Uh, the Council," I said. "Big shock, they aren't helping." Murphy looked like she might be asleep, but she snorted. "So we're on our own." Yeah." Good. It's more familiar.

No story that juicy was going to stay secret for long.

Bob, would you be willing to take on Evil Bob?" Bob's eyes darted nervously. "I'd . . . prefer not to. I'd really, really prefer not to. You have no idea. That me was crazy. And buff. He worked out.

Give it to 'em!" Take 'em down!" First Aleran!" Kick their furry--" Assault formation!

Pain does two things: It teaches you, tells you that you're alive. Then it passes away and leaves you changed. It leaves you wiser, sometimes. Sometimes it leaves you stronger. Either way, pain leaves its mark, and everything important that will ever happen to you in life is going to involve it in one degree or another.

I would hit you on the head with a rock and drag you away from this. But it would only shatter the rock.

Don't call me a dinosaur. It isn't fair to the dinosaurs. What did a dinosaur ever do to you?