There are two things you know. One: You were there. Two: You couldn’t have been there.
-- Caden (Chapter 1 paragraph 1)

Importance: Caden understands that he is both a matter of reality, and losing grip on reality. He understands that there is a real world, and that there is another world that is real to him in his mind, but real to no one else. It is when he loses focus, is unable to concentrate, and unable to recall details that the Captain always appears to him – a Captain no one else can see.

There’s no telling how far down it goes…
-- The Captain (Chapter 2 paragraph 1)

Importance: The Captain and Caden converse about the Marianas Trench. The Captain says that the depths of the Trench cannot be known or measured, even though Caden says the depths have been measured. The Captain argues that anyone who says he has seen the bottom is a liar, and that there is no...