If he is anything other than a total gentleman, I’m going to gouge his eyes out.” “So you’re into it.” “Withholding judgment! When can I see you?” “Certainly not until you finish An Imperial Affliction.” I enjoyed being coy. “Then I’d better hang up and start reading.” “You’d better,” I said, and the line clicked dead without another word. Flirting was new to me, but I liked it.

Right. I'd forgotten about her.' He shook his head. 'That keeps happening.

But I could always tell in her eyes if she got really pissed at me, and her eyes were still pretty smiley

It was an indulgence, learning last words. Other people had chocolate; I had dying declarations.

Tonight, darling, we are going to right a lot of wrongs.

Before I got here, I thought for a long time that the way out of the labyrinth was to pretend that it did not exist, to build a small, self-sufficient world in the back corner of the endless maze and to pretend that I was not lost, but home.

The not knowing would not keep me from caring.