Fatal Voyage Quotes
"The trees were mostly pine, the few hardwoods like wreaths marking the death of summer, their foliage every shade of red, orange, and yellow."
"Birdsong. Wind. The scurrying of a small animal."
"I could see an engine, half buried in dirt and debris, and what looked like pieces of wing flap."
"The smell of drugstore products and airplane fuel mingled with the scent of pine and mountain air."
"Though it was hot in Charlotte, at this elevation the early October weather was pleasant."
"Wreckage and body parts covered the landscape like refuse discarded at a dump."
"The wind shifted and the smell of smoke grew stronger."
"The forest cover is luxuriant, much of it preserved as national land."
"The earth at its best. Death and destruction amid such dreamlike loveliness was a stark contrast."
"I planted my feet, tested for traction, and worked my way to a standing position."
"I prefer ecozones where shorts and sundresses suffice, and only one layer is needed."
"Though victim recovery was well along, and fewer bodies littered the ground, the big picture looked relatively unchanged."
"Branches tapped and scraped, and dead leaves tumbled across the ground with soft ticking sounds."
"I was wearing a bright yellow jacket, wanting to surprise no one, and hoping the Tommy Hilfiger colors would suggest avoidance to the coyote mind."
"Though lower than the surrounding scrub, the vegetation at times rose almost to my knees."
"The ground was slightly concave, and I had to take care not to turn an ankle on a rock hidden beneath leaves."
"Intending to excavate only the cabin, we’d uncovered a tiny graveyard, unlisted on any document."
"As I emerged into sunlight a white-tailed deer raised its head, stared, then disappeared."
"A feeling of menace hung over the place. Was it born of the dark, weathered wood, the blind, boarded windows, or the jungle of vegetation that kept the dwelling in perpetual gloom?"
"The locals have never owned mittens or snow tires."
"One summer I’d directed a dig at the top of Chimney Rock."
"The guard continued to signal and shake his head. Primrose leaned close and spoke again, old black woman to young black man."
"Dogs have fixed facial musculature, making them incapable of expression. Nevertheless, Boyd’s eyebrows made a movement that clearly communicated his disbelief."
"Come on, dog breath," I said, patting his head, then tugging him toward the road.
"Is this what’s got your fur in a twist?"
"Obviously, she’d never spent time with Boyd."
"I’ve got another sidebar," I said, my excitement growing.
"Let’s at least go to his camp and look around," I pushed.
"You’re sure there’s a structure back in there?" I heard doubt in her voice.
"Show me," she said, handing me the book.
"Could I run Boyd around the property, see if he has any thoughts?"
"You’re not on the rental contract. Don’t get arrested."
"Sometimes I wonder what the world’s coming to."
"‘Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely.’"
"The people who matter know these accusations are false."
"We’ve never had stealing in this house."
"The dead have a right to be identified."
"If there’s no link it’s one hell of a coincidence."
"It’s hard to help if you’re not forthcoming."
"I need to serve both the living and the dead."
"Streets change names with whimsy. Tyvola becomes Fairview, then Sardis."
"If you get onto anything named Queens, get off."
"He said it was to get away from his women, to put the fire back into his belly."
"Kendall died of leukemia when he was fifty-five."
"Pat always said I talk too much. I denied it, told him I was just the friendly type."
"Being in public office took him away from home too much, but he loved it."
"I loved my husband, supported him unquestioningly."
"Was there another side to the man I lived with for almost six decades?"
"I cannot endure one more night alone with the dread."
"It’s OK, Mrs. Veckhoff. Your answers were bullshit, but they were charming bullshit."
"Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread."
"Do you have any idea how pervasive the theme of humans eating humans is in Western culture?"
"I’d rather be sorry for something I did, than for something that I didn’t do."
"Herodotus told of the eating of kinsmen among the Issedones of Central Asia, who grew strong and ruled."
"As flesh wastes away, so does strength. But mind, spirit, intellect, those elements are transferable through the very cells of our bodies."
"Eat the weak and grow stronger. It’s as old as man himself."
"The brightest of the species must be nurtured. Those passing from this earth must yield their mana to those who remain, add to the strength and wisdom of the chosen."