Американские боги

           "Storybookswerelikegold-dust—anythingyoucouldreadwastreasured,backbeforethetownhadalendinglibrary.WhenmygrampawgotsentastorybookfromhisbrotherinBavaria,alltheGermansintownmetupinthetownhalltohearhimreadit,andtheFinnsandtheIrishandtherestofthem,they’dmaketheGermanstellthemthestories.

           "Twentymilessouthofhere,inJibway,theyfoundawomanwalkingmother-nakedinthewinterwithadeadbabeatherbreast,andshe’dnotsufferthemtotakeitfromher."Heshookhisheadmeditatively,closedtheflycabinetwithaclick."Badbusiness.Youwantavideorentalcard?Eventuallythey’llopenaBlockbusterhere,andthenwe’llsoonbeoutofbusiness.Butfornowwegotaprettyfairselection."

           ShadowremindedHinzelmannthathehadnotelevisionandnoVCR.HeenjoyedHinzelmann’scompany—thereminiscences,thetalltales,thegoblingrinoftheoldman.ItcouldmakethingsawkwardbetweenthemwereShadowtoadmitthattelevisionhadmadehimuncomfortableeversinceithadstartedtotalktohim.

           Hinzelmannfishedinadrawer,andtookoutatinbox—bythelookofit,ithadoncebeenaChristmasBox,ofthekindthatcontainedchocolatesorcookies:amottledSantaClaus,holdingatrayofCoca-Colabottles,beamedupfromitslid.