The lowliest European functionary — a border inspector, say — dressed immaculately, and furnished even a cubicle to lend an impression of respectabil… - Jonathan Lethem

Mrs. Neverbody’s Recipe for Making Crocodile Tears To a slice of hanky-panky Add some artificial cranky. Moisten well with canned boo-hoo. Flavor with a spoof or two. Drip this slowly — as it falls Roll it into little bawls. If you’re careful, while they’re cooling You can spread on only-fooling. (This recipe is not worthwhile Unless you are a crocodile.)

Relax,' she said. 'There's nothing wrong with a slow, awkward beginning. The text for the whole relationship, the sustaining mythos, is built in the first few encounters. The whirl of emotions, the push and pull. So the more of this kind of material we generate, the better.

As Bruno neared, Stolarsky stepped from behind the door. His feet and legs were bare. He held a pistol, loosely, and wore nothing but a thin T-shirt. The darkness beneath its hem revealed as a scribble of genitals and hair, his penis like a second sarcastic nose.