But “settling” seemed completely beyond Allegra’s abilities. She would fidget, or tap, or twirl at random, or run all the way upstairs and all the way down again if she forgot something. 

Jordan Stratford, illo. Kelly Murphy, The Case of the Girl in Grey [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library]

Hermetic quote Stratford The Case of the Girl in Grey settling completely beyond abilities fidget tap twirl random run upstairs all the way down forgot something

Consider also:

  1. “Let all men obey me, The Beast, the Prophet of Nuit! For my number is 666, the Number of the Sun. That is, I am the Light and Centre of their system of Stars; and my Word is as a ray to them who are of Earth. Let them obey the light, and Impulse of that which I am in Truth, although I lie deep hidden in a body of flesh. Seek ye to know Nuit! Seek to enjoy all that may be, although ye loathe it in your souls. This is your ordeal, which ye must pass in order to be free and whole; to know all things alike, to try, to do, to love and to rejoice in all.”
  2. “‘Cryptography,’ said Peebs, ‘from the Greek kryptos, or ‘hidden.’ ’ ‘Hidden writing, specifically,’ said Ada. ‘A code.’ ‘But not, one hopes, crypt as in, well, crypts, with dead people in them,’ said Jane. ‘Actually…,’ began Peebs. ‘Impossible, all of you!’ Ada raised her voice. “
  3. “It is for the Great Souls to enter on this Rigour and Austerity. To them the Gods themselves do Homage; for it is the Way of Utmost Purity.”
  4. “I found his style of teaching, which was both science-oriented and ecumenical, attractive for a number of reasons which deeply resonated with me. While nominally a Buddhist, he could talk intelligently about the spiritual practices of many religions and traditions. He was also a geek—fascinated by dead languages and abstract mathematics. I liked his modern, rational, and non-sectarian viewpoint.”
  5. “We receive no formal training in emotional regulation, ability to focus, healthy forms of relaxation, nor in a dozen or so skills that would be invaluable to ourselves and society.”