News of Daniel's disappearance does not alarm me as it might have done a week ago. Given recent events, very little alarms me as it might have done a week ago. I feel as if my supply of alarm has been exhausted, at least temporarily.

That is certainly one way to look at the matter. There are others.

If you want to build a car, you don't slap a bunch of iron ore, some sand, a rubber tree, and a couple of cows together and call it good

Very well. You may help me exterminate the Society of Wizards.

I’d much rather have good teeth than have diamonds and roses drop out of my mouth whenever I said something

She who laughs last may not invariably laugh best, but she does laugh.

No proper princess would come out looking for dragons," Woraug objected. "Well I'm not a proper princess then!" Cimorene snapped. "I make cherries jubillee and I volunteer for dragons, and I conjugate Latin verbs-- or at least I would if anyone would let me. So there!