"We cannot allow this to happen," she said, her voice tight and brittle.

In a brittle voice, he said, "I'm going to do it for myself.

"You will be our line of defense," the Designate said, his voice brittle with command.

I would be interested,' she said sharply, the brittle voice cracking.

It was Pamela who spoke up this time, her voice brittle as glass.

"You were lucky the last time," he said, his voice dry and brittle.

"You're not telling the whole story," Ted said in a brittle voice.

Mike said crackling things in his small and brittle voice.

Her voice, weary and brittle, dragged, as if she were running down.

Then he said in a brittle voice: "What's the meaning of this?