"[Kulfi] looked at the tiny creature in her hands, a creature that looked as if he had come from another planet altogether, or had been discovered in the woods, like something alien and strange." (Chapter 1, p. 12)

"And if he was balding a little and had a small belly...well, he liked this look; it added importance to his words and inspired respect." (Chapter 3, p. 19)

"If it wasn't for me, Sampath would be sitting in a special museum for people who are a cross between potatoes and human beings." (Chapter 3, p. 26)

"Yes, he was in the right place at last. Tiredness rolled over him like a wave, and closing his eyes, he fell into a deep slumber, lodged in a fork in the guava tree." (Chapter 6, p. 51)

"Yes, they [holy men] can be like a child or a madman. Other times, instructing others, they return to the plane of...