"You will live as you live anywhere. With difficulty, and grief."
— Baba Yaga, page 348
“Masha, listen to me. Cosmetics are an extension of the will. Why do you think all men paint themselves when they go to fight? ... When I streak my lips red as foxgloves, I say, Come here, male. I am your mate, and you will not deny me. When I pinch my cheeks and dust them with mother-of-pearl, I say, Death, keep off, I am your enemy, and you will not deny me. I say these things, and the world listens, Masha. Because my magic is as strong as an arm. I am never denied.”
—Madame Lebedeva,
