Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.

It had a very long pendulum, and the pendulum swung with a slow tick-tock that set his teeth on edge, because it was the the kind of delibrate, annoying ticking that wanted to make it abundantly clear that every tick and every tock was stripping another second off your life.

You have to start out learning to believe the little lies. "So we can believe the big ones?" Yes. Justice, mercy, duty. That sort of thing.

When she spoke again it was in the thin, careful and above all brave voice of someone who has pulled themselves together despite overwhelming odds but might let go again at any moment.

You can't find a hermit to teach you herming, because of course that rather spoils the whole thing.

I thought unicorns were more . . . Fluffy.

...Roland de Chumsfanleigh (it wasn't his fault).