"Unless he had whiskey running through his veins, Willard came to the clearing every morning and evening to talk to God. Arvin didn't know which was worse, the drinking or the praying. As far back as he could remember, it seemed that his father had fought the Devil all the time." (Prologue, p. 1).

"The picture had been there as long as he could remember, spotty with age in a cheap wooden frame. It seemed almost alive in the flickering light from the lantern. He could almost hear the cracks of the whips, the taunts of Pilate's soldiers. He glanced down at the German Luger lying on the table by Earskell's plate." (Chapter 1, p. 18).

"Still strumming his guitar, Theodore watched his cousin nonchalantly brush a spider off his ear, them smile at the frail, plain-looking girl. He didn't stop playing until he saw Roy beckon the bitch forward with...