"Like a flame trying to catch on a wick, the smile flickered back" (Chapter 1, pg. 3.)

"Someone had once told him that the way to turn water into gold is to go to the middle of a jungle and light a fire and put a pot of water on to boil" (Chapter 1, pg. 9.)

"Hardy looked back to the stateroom. It was painted in blood" (Chapter 2, pg. 20.)

"Some people believed that the solution to the drug and crime problems in the projects was to put a wall around them and let the residents kill each other off. There are all kinds of walls" (Chapter 3, pg. 22.)

"They paid the vig, the vigorish—a reasonable ten points a week—until they could repay the principal" (Chapter , pg. 49.)

"The dreams had been bad, and Louis Baker hadn't slept until nearly dawn" (Chapter 7, pg. 83.)

"Frannie wasn't sure it had been a good...