The maid screamed. The Queen gasped. Sophie waved.

... and when he put his mind to it, he could make his words coil themselves around and around the listener until they held her in some sort of a mild hypnotic spell.

What a fortunate fellow I am, I kept telling myself. Nobody has ever had such a lovely time as this!

I've heard tell that what you imagine sometimes comes true. -Grandpa Joe

The Alexander Technique works... I recommend it enthusiastically to anyone who has neck pains or back pain.

I think I have this thing where everybody has to think I'm the greatest.And if they aren't completely knocked out and dazzled and slightly intimidated by me, I don't feel good about myself.

The witching hour, somebody had once whispered to her, was a special moment in the middle of the night when every child and every grown-up was in a deep deep sleep, and all the dark things came out from hiding and had the world all to themselves.