Mr. Benedict: "After I woke up and composed myself, however, I realized the flowers must certainly be yours, Constance, to do with as you please. At any rate --" Mr. Benedict broke off, for just then Constance jumped to her feet, snatched the bouquet from his desk, and hurled it into the wastebasket with all the force she could muster -- so hard that flower petals flew up out of the wastebasket like tiny pink butterflies. Then placing her hands against the wall to steady herself, she stomped one foot repeatedly into the wastebasket as if trying to put out a fire. "I see we are of the same opinion," said Mr. Benedict as Constance returned to her seat, and the others congratulated her on her judgment.

— Trenton Lee Stewart

Nicholas Benedict did have an exceptional gift for knowing things (more exceptional, in fact, than most adults would have thought possible), and yet not even he could know that this next chapter was to be the most unusual-and most important-of his entire childhood. Indeed, the strange days that lay ahead would change him forever, though for now they had less substance than the mist through which he ran.

— Trenton Lee Stewart

Now listen, we need to be quiet as mice. No, quieter than that. As quiet as. . . As. . .” “Dead mice?” Range suggested. “Perfect,” said Kate with an approving nod. “As quiet as dead mice.

— Trenton Lee Stewart

One problem with being a leader, is that even among your friends you are alone, for it is you -- and you alone -- to whom the others look for final guidance.

— Trenton Lee Stewart

Out from behind the desk where he’d been sitting, hidden by the piles of books, appeared a bespectacled, green-eyed man in a green plaid suit. His thick white hair was shaggy and mussed, his nose was rather large and lumpy like a vegetable, and although it was clear he had recently shaved, he appeared to have done so without benefit of a mirror, for here and there upon his neck and chin were nicks from a razor, and occasional white whiskers that he’d missed altogether. This was Mr. Benedict.

— Trenton Lee Stewart

Rules and school are tools for fools! I don't give two mules for rules.

— Trenton Lee Stewart

She announced her age right away, for children consider their ages every bit as important as their names.

— Trenton Lee Stewart

Somehow those Ten Men -- at the time they were called Recruiters, of course -- discovered that Constance had been at the library. Most likely one of their informants saw her come out, because it was on that very day that the brutes showed up and threatened the librarians. Who told them nothing, incidentally.'' The same thing happened in Holland,' Kate reflected. 'You'd think these guys would learn their lesson -- librarians know how to keep quiet.'' It helps to ask politely,' said Mr. Benedict

— Trenton Lee Stewart

Something about this made Range uneasy. Had he done so badly? Was this meant to test his courage? He did as he was told, closing his eyes and bracing himself as best he could." Why are you flinching?" the pencil woman asked." I don't know. I thought maybe you were going to slap me."" Don't be ridiculous. I could slap you perfectly well with your eyes open. I'm only going to blindfold you.

— Trenton Lee Stewart

Sometimes, Range, trouble itself is the key. - Mr. Benedict

— Trenton Lee Stewart