A slight grin that has nothing to do with merriment is the sure sign that she is about to set things straight. Her overall air is one of constant sus… - Jeffrey Ford

Now I was stuck and could feel the tide of years suddenly beginning to rise around me.

Can you think of anything, my dear Mr. Fell, more intricately complex, more perfectly compact and thoroughly functional than the human eye?"
"No, sir," said August.
"I thought not," said Larchcroft. "Consider this, though. Our eyes were created by light. Without the existence of light, we would not have eyes. Over the long course of man's evolutionarily maturation to his modern condition, light sculpted these magical orbs, making subtle adjustments through the centuries, until now they are capable of the incredible process of sight. This most vital sense, not only a means of self-preservation but the single most important catalyst for culture, is a product of the inherent genius of light.

“You gotta watch that anger. The customer’s always right,” said Merk.
“The customer’s hardly ever right,” said Slackwell.