Still...the greatest adventure of her life was over and done for. She had returned from Never-Never Land, from Middle-earth, from El Dorado. The drag… - Michael Swanwick

The announcers sounded giddily excited. Their faces flushed, their eyes bright. Natural disasters did that to people, made them feel significant, reassured them that their actions mattered.

Now why on Earth would you tell him a thing like that?"
"Because it's true."
Sbrulius laughed. "That, dear Faust, is the single worst argument you could have raised. Many things are true. Few are proper. Fewer still are desirable.

Sam stood in the center of the church, listening for the presence of God. It was a hot place. The air was blue with floating radioisotopes. She glanced up at the clouds and they staggered by as if the walls were falling in on her. She looked away quickly. The air flowed around her, calm and peaceful and blue. But there was no divine presence.