Pilgrim at Tinker Creek Mortality Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

It turned out that the fox farm readily accepts dead horses from far and wide to use as "fresh" meat for the foxes. But it also turned out, oddly enough, that the fox farm was up to its hem in dead horses already, and had room for no more. (7.30)

When Annie's friend's horse dies, she has trouble disposing of the body. One option is to feed it to the foxes on a fur farm, but apparently there's only so much dead horse a fox can eat.

Quote #5

As far as lower animals go, if you lead a simple life you probably face a boring death. Some animals, however, lead such complicated lives that not only do the chances for any one animal's death at any minute multiply greatly, but so also do the varieties for the deaths it might die. (10.40)

It's the same for humans. Think about it: If you take up hang gliding or compete in the X-Games, your opportunities for death increase exponentially, but you certainly have more interesting stories to tell.

Quote #6

What kind of a world is this, anyway? Why not make fewer barnacle larvae and give them a decent chance? Are we dealing in life, or in death? (10.47)

Annie reasons that a god who throws down a heaping ton of insects so that a handful can live is like an engineer who needs three trains, builds a billion, puts them all on the tracks at once, and lets them crash and burn until only three are left.