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Counting Time

A beautiful way to bring literature into the mundane business of answering the question "What time is it?"

Until five o'clock there was no sign of life from the room. Then he rang for his servant and ordered a cold bath. - Embers, Sandor Marai

From five o'clock to eight is on certain occasions a little eternity; but on such an occasion as this the interval could be only an eternity of pleasure. -- The Portrait of a Lady, Henry James

One minute after five. The seated guests were told that the ceremony would begin shortly. A little more patience was required. - Trouble & Triumph: A Novel of Power & Beauty, Tip "T.I." Harris with David Ritz

She stood up, shook her hair into place, smoothed her skirt and turned on the light. It was two minutes past five. She would have thought it midnight or five in the morning.

- Duplicate Keys, Jane Smiley

I showed up at the site right around 5 pm and was rewarded by these quotes, learning about books and writers I was not familiar with. I am sure to be back at another time to see what shows up. This is like opening a infinite set of fortune cookies - one of the great joys of Chinese takeout in my family, getting to the fortunes. Sometimes, people who get the super-cryptic ones wish they could have another shot at a fortune. 

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