- Reet: Gravity readings are normal, so it must be an Earth child. Though it bears little resemblance to the rest of the species.
- Mr. Eldritch: The machine, young lady. The machine is a thing of truth in an inconstant age. If you care for the machine, if you respect the machine... if you love the machine, you may be a part of its truth.
- Miss Maitland: Oh Marcie Hatter, you're a case study in paranoia.
- Marcie: And quite right too. Paranoia's an intelligent form of common-sense. None of us knows what's going on around us any of the time. I mean look at this. How many people know how a simple light-switch works? We're all in the dark, and it's getting darker.
- Miss Maitland: Marcie, I said enough questions. Oh unless I can ask you one.
- Marcie: Just the one.
- Miss Maitland: Why the canoe paddle?
- Marcie: Well you never know when you're gonna be up the creek.