“I hope that this assignment will not prove an inconvenience,” Doc continued. “All duty is inconvenient to a greater or lesser degree, or it would no… - Neal Stephenson

“I understand the speed of light!” Zula blurted.
Faces turned toward her, gawped, then turned away. A hundred years ago, someone would have taken her up on the gambit. Now people were too intimidated—or perhaps they assumed she was finally losing it.
Except for Enoch. “Explain it,” he urged her. “I’ve always wanted to understand.”

"It might interest you to know that our state is tired of being used as a chemical toilet so that people in Utah can have plastic lawn furniture." "I can't believe an assistant attorney general came right out and said that."
"Well, I wouldn't say it in public."

We did not expect to have a backup system for the rest of the universe. We can rely upon it to be cold most of the time.