Американские боги
Chapter 9
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Thewaitress,whoworeabrightredandgreenskirtedgedwithglitteringsilvertinsel,giggledandcoloredandsmiledhappily,andwentofftogetWednesdayanothermugofhotchocolate."Fetching,"saidWednesday,thoughtfully,watchinghergo."Becoming,"hesaid.Shadowdidnotthinkhewastalkingaboutthedress.Wednesdayshoveledthefinalsliceofturkeyintohismouth,flickedathisbeardwithhisnapkin,andpushedhisplateforward."Aaah.Good."Helookedaroundhim,atthefamilyrestaurant.InthebackgroundatapeofChristmassongswasplaying:thelittledrummerboyhadnogiftstobring,parupapom-pom,rapappompom,rapappompom.
"Somethingsmaychange,"saidWednesday,abruptly."People,however…peoplestaythesame.Somegriftslastforever,othersareswallowedsoonenoughbytimeandbytheworld.Myfavoritegriftofallisnolongerpractical.Still,asurprisingnumberofgriftsaretimeless—theSpanishPrisoner,thePigeonDrop,theFawneyRig(that’sthePigeonDropbutwithagoldringinsteadofawallet),theFiddleGame…"
"I’veneverheardoftheFiddleGame,"saidShadow."IthinkI’veheardoftheothers.Myoldcellmatesaidhe’dactuallydonetheSpanishPrisoner.Hewasagrifter."
"Ah,"saidWednesday,andhislefteyesparkled."TheFiddleGamewasafineandwonderfulcon.Initspurestformitisatwo-mangrift.Ittradesoncupidityandgreed,asallgreatgriftsdo.