"Uneasily [Bird] wondered if the day would ever come when he actually set foot on African soil and gazed through dark sunglasses at the African sky. Or was he losing, this very minute, once and for all, any chance he might have of setting out for Africa? Was he being forced to say good bye, in spite of himself, the single and final occasion of dazzling tension in his youth?" p. 3

"If I don't fight now, I'll not only lose the chance to go to Africa forever, my baby will be born into the world solely to lead the worst possible life - it was like the voice of inspiration, and Bird believed." p. 12

"...something suspicious about this hairy, middle-aged doctor prevented [Bird] from letting down his guard. As if, deep beneath that hirsute skin, something potentially lethal was trying to rear its bushy head and was being...