No matter how far from the war we run, it always catches up with us.

As one does a bear riding a bicycle. One sees it so rarely. (Spoken by Volger, on Deryn)

A rat called Possible New Strain was sitting under a spaghetti strainer held down with a pile of journalism textbooks, saying rude things in rat-speak.

Sometimes it felt like her life was a series of falls from ever-greater heights.

Junkies might be easy to knock down, but they're never fragile. They have souls like old leather shoes studded with steel, and they're about as much good as friends.

He turned to face her again, his late-pretty composure crumbling. "But you're..." "Pretty? Think again." She smiled. "I'm Tally Youngbood. My mind is very ugly. And I'm taking your car.

The lie took form as she spoke, pulling on as many strands of truth as it could reach.