“Are you sad?" Nicola asked. Richard turned in the chair. The scissors became motionless."Yes. I am sad. I'm sad most of the time.""Does it bother you?""It never used to. But now it does. Very much.""It's because the world disappoints you," Nicola said. She set down hers scissors. "It continually fails to surprise you. It fails to be as wonderful as you long for it to be. This is where your sadness comes from.”

“Are you sad?" Nicola asked. Richard turned in the chair. The scissors became motionless."Yes. I am sad. I'm sad most of the time.""Does it bother you?""It never used to. But now it does. Very much.""It's because the world disappoints you," Nicola said. She set down hers scissors. "It continually fails to surprise you. It fails to be as wonderful as you long for it to be. This is where your sadness comes from.”

“You know, you're very strong" Nicola said."Thank you.""That's no compliment. It's your weakness. If you weren't so strong you wouldn't have to take it and so you wouldn't.”

“the code of a world he'd never been invited to join.”

“Remember that the truth within yourself will always be greater than the truth found in these pages. These stories are here to guide us—to help us find that truth, not to tell us what it is.”

“Why do bad things happen to good people?''Because it makes a good story.”

“Are you sad?" Nicola asked. Richard turned in the chair. The scissors became motionless."Yes. I am sad. I'm sad most of the time.""Does it bother you?""It never used to. But now it does. Very much.""It's because the world disappoints you," Nicola said. She set down hers scissors. "It continually fails to surprise you. It fails to be as wonderful as you long for it to be. This is where your sadness comes from.”

“She said, “Only the weak are afraid to appear so.”