We are now a town of trainee managers. Oh, happy are ye that inherit the deep-fat fryer! What we do now is eat. It has become our sole occupation, our idle hands have found something to take hold of. Chapter 1, page 17.

Then his wife called. When was he coming home? She needed milk and doughnuts. Ed came back and sat in the shifting dark with me. He smelt sour, like something inside him was leaking. Chapter 2, page 28.

All you got to do is look around you here, and you know that Ronny Lawton chopped up his old man plain and simple. All that finger tells me is that Ronny's old man is dead. Chapter 3, page 40.

Then Ronny opened his mouth slow and, uncrossing his arms, brought the two fists together, merged the NOW and HERE into the enigma of NOWHERE. He whispered that word, NOWHERE, to us. Chapter...