"It would have been easier if Charles Wallace had actually been stupid. But he wasn't, and he wasn't very good at pretending that he didn't know more than the other six-year-olds in his class." Chapter 1, pg. 14

"'There's been an unexplainable phenomenon, not in our part of the galaxy, but far across it, and in several other galaxies - well, the easiest way to explain it is that our new supersensitive sonic instruments have been picking up strange sounds, sounds which aren't on any normal register, but much higher. After such a sound - a cosmic scream, the Times rather sensationally called it - there appears to be a small rip in the galaxy."' Chapter 2, pg. 37

"Flame spurted skywards in indignation at the doubt in the atmosphere. Great wings raised and spread and the children were looked at by a great many eyes. When the wild thing spoke...