“Honored One, I won’t hurt Claire, and I won’t hurt you. You are both safe and welcome here.”
     The snake seemed to relax. It uncoiled and stretched its full length. Then its edges blurred and wavered, and with a glimmer of light, it became a stick.
          — Mrs. Green meets Malika the snake

The desert. My heart reached for it. Or was the desert reaching for me, pulling me into its vast, silent heart? 
          — Claire finds safety in the desert

     “Say something in Greek—I want to hear what it sounds like.”
     Was it me, or did the room suddenly become quiet? Because while Luke spoke, it was the only thing I heard. And I heard it not just with my ears, but also with my eyes, my mouth, my hands, and my heart. It surrounded and melted into me, his voice a warm sea splashed with sunlight.
          — Claire gets acquainted with Luke

     “Oh my gosh. You weren’t kidding. There really is a snake—wait, what’s she doing . . . hey, stop that! That tickles . . . you sure she’s friendly? Oh my gosh—ha ha, stop! She’s going around my leg now—you’re sure she won’t bite me?”
          — Luke meets Malika the snake

A fierce light filled me. It shone into every crevice and hollow, shattering the darkness within. It pierced me with solemn gladness—was this joy? It melted down my very self until it, too, was radiant.
          — Claire in the desert

“There comes a time when old ways, old dreams, no longer serve us. They must die to make room for something new.”
          — Mrs. Green speaks about the plagues