During the second act, time frequently slows down for the characters and then snaps back into reality.

"Hardly the time for intellectual inquiry," snapped the captain.

Naden blinked a dozen times in quick succession then snapped open his briefcase.

This time, Snap himself halted the death blow.

He could not move until the man had gone, and time was snapping at his heels like a herdsman's dog.

"A little more juldee next time, Jongo," he snapped at me.

Each time, though, the market quickly snapped back.

Next time, snap it back at me and no nonsense.

He twitched a few times and his jaws snapped at the air.

Linear time had snapped back into a Gordian knot of interwoven strands.