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“The twelve men lift their rifles and take aim. Is my life passing before my eyes? The only thing I feel is an extraordinary revolution: I am alive. Every instant is infinitely divisible, death cannot reach me, I plunge into the hard kernel of the present.”

-Chapter 1

“…the head snapped back to point down the track, the big muscles in its haunches bunched, flexed and the beast sprang forward, its vast hooves kicking up dust and splinters of rock.

We scrambled out of our hiding place and stumbled out to stare after the unicorn as it vanished around a curve in the track.

‘Okay,’ said Beverley. ‘I really hope one of you is a virgin.’”

-Chapter 8: Proactive Measures

“When I reached the ramp at the far end I turned to look back and saw the blocks acted as gigantic garden walls cupping a green bowl in which grew some of the biggest plane trees I’ve ever seen […]And rearing out of the centre was the dusty brown crenellate spike of Skygarden Tower.

‘Fuck me,’ I said to Toby. ‘We’re living in Isengard.’”

-Chapter 11: A Machine for Living In, page 193

“‘The book hasn’t been reported stolen’ I said. ‘As far as Arts and Antiques are concerned there’s no crime to investigate.’ […]

‘Curious,’ said Postmartin. ‘Perhaps the owner doesn’t realize it’s been stolen.’

‘Perhaps the owner is the guy who tried to sell it,’ I said. ‘He might want it back.’

Postmartin gave me a horrified look…”

-Ch 4: Complex and Unspecified Matters

”’I know it’s dangerous,’ [Inara] said. She held Kissen’s gaze, and whatever the godkiller saw in her, she understood.

Kisses looked at Elo, who was hesitating, then held out her hand.

‘She’s a little girl,’ warned Elo.

‘Little girls grow up fast,’ said Kissen.”

-Chapter 23: Inara