She looked at the next question on her sheet. "Who would you prefer to sit next to?" "A nun or a knitting granny, if that's possible." "Hmm," mused the check-in girl, studying the passenger manifest carefully. "All the nuns, grannies and intelligent non-amorous males are taken. It's technobore, lawyer, self-pitying drunk or copiously vomiting baby, I'm afraid."
"Technobore and lawyer, then." She marked me down on the seating plan and then announced: "There will be a slight delay in receiving the excuse for the lateness of the DeepDrop to Sydney, Miss Next. The reason for the delay in the excuse has yet to be established."

Lost in a Good Book - Jasper Fforde