"It seemed they were going to be friends for the night"

"It seemed they were going to be friends for the night" - Ever Since by Donald Antrim

"When they were gone it would be something that had never happened"

"When they were gone it would be something that had never happened" - Goo Book by Keith Ridgway

"He wants to be ready for next time"

"He wants to be ready for next time" - Rollingwood by Ben Marcus

"What do I do if there's a gator?"

"What do I do if there's a gator?" - The Dredgeman's Revelation by Karen Russell

"I beg your pardon?"

"I beg your pardon?" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"As he kept reminding me, he was twelve years older than I was"

"As he kept reminding me, he was twelve years older than I was" - Old Wounds by Edna O'Brien

"The house smelled of dusty carpets"

"The house smelled of dusty carpets" - In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin

"The points of the compass are like money, which has value only because men say that it does"

"The points of the compass are like money, which has value only because men say that it does" - In the South by Salman Rushdie

"The universe does not understand up and down"

"The universe does not understand up and down" - In the South by Salman Rushdie

"The band of children following them grew louder"

"The band of children following them grew louder" - A History of Insects by Yvonne Roberts

"He, of all people, knows what's real and what's not"

"He, of all people, knows what's real and what's not" - Brother on Sunday by A. M. Homes

"To strive, to seek, ... "

"To strive, to seek, ... " - Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson

" ... to find, and not to yield"

" ... to find, and not to yield" - Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson

"Now something funny happened inside of my head"

"Now something funny happened inside of my head" - Anathem by Neal Stephenson

"People came here to hunt in the autumn"

"People came here to hunt in the autumn" - Anathem by Neal Stephenson

"The roadside ditches were full of jumpweed and slashberry"

"The roadside ditches were full of jumpweed and slashberry" - Anathem by Neal Stephenson

"Save the pancakes for later"

"Save the pancakes for later" - Where I'm likely to find it by Haruki Murakami