Silence. Archie let it gather. He could always feel a heightening of i — Robert Cormier

"Better be careful, Jason warned himself. Why should I be careful? A nagging thought just below the surface of his mind gave him an uneasy feeling again, the feeling that something was wrong, that things were not what they seemed. Was that his imagination or just being in this small office, no air-conditioning, not even an electric fan? For some reason, the blank walls bothered him. No pictures. And no windows. I want to get out of here. He realized that he could get out of there. He could simply get up and leave. He didnt have to even speak to anybody. Hadnt they said this was voluntary? He was a volunteer. Well, he didnt feel like being a volunteer anymore. He wanted to go home."

"Dont blame me," he said, surprised at her reaction. "Blame human nature. I didnt make the world."

"Emile will serve you well. Hes an animal, but animals come in handy if theyre trained right." "Right," Bunting said, but thinking, When youre gone, Archie, Ill be boss and Ill chose my own right arms. "Bunting," Archie said, looking up again, "Ill be telling Emile about it. Emile Janza will be looking forward to his job as your assistant. And Emile doesnt like to be disappointed. Hes very unpredictable and gets very physical when hes disappointed. Never disappoint Emile Janza, Bunting."

"The assignment must fit the kid. Thats the beauty of it, Obie." Obie waited a minute or two and couldnt resist asking, "You running out of ideas, Archie?" The great Archie Costello running dry? The possibility was staggering to contemplate. "Just being artistic, Obie. Its an art, you know. Take a kid like this Renault. Special circumstances." He fell silent. "Put him down for the chocolates."

"Obie was bored. Worse than bored. He was also tired. He went to bed tired and woke up tired. He found himself yawning constantly. Most of all, he was tired of Archie. Archie the bastard. The bastard that Obie alternately hated and admired."

"Notices for Vigil meetings were always posted on the main bulletin board in the first-floor corridor, directly across from the Headmasters office. Archie was entertained by the location of the notice right under Leons nose. The notice was simple, involving the words TRINTY HIGH SCHOOL at the top of the board. On the day of the meeting, the Y of Trinity was inverted. Which made it look, as Archie said, like an upright finger. Thus, the Vigils giving the finger to the world while calling a meeting. Thats what the upside-down Y was called: the Finger."