Американские боги
Chapter 5
ThecoinslothadbeenmodifiedtotakethebrassHouseontheRockcoins.
"Putinthemoney,"saidCzernobog.
"Why?"askedShadow.
"Youmustsee.Ishowyou."
Shadowinsertedhiscoin.Thedrunkinthegraveyardraisedhisbottletohislips.Oneofthegravestonesflippedover,revealingagraspingcorpse;aheadstoneturnedaround,flowersreplacedbyagrinningskull.Awraithappearedontherightofthechurch,whileontheleftofthechurchsomethingwithahalf-glimpsedpointed,unsettlinglybird-likeface,apale,Boschiannightmare,glidedsmoothlyfromaheadstoneintotheshadowsandwasgone.Thenthechurchdooropened,apriestcameout,andtheghosts,haunts,andcorpsesvanished,andonlythepriestandthedrunkwereleftaloneinthegraveyard.Thepriestlookeddownatthedrunkdisdainfully,andbackedthroughtheopendoor,whichclosedbehindhim,leavingthedrunkonhisown.
Theclockworkstorywasdeeplyunsettling.Muchmoreunsettling,thoughtShadow,thanclockworkhasanyrighttobe.
"YouknowwhyIshowthattoyou?"askedCzernobog.
"No."
"Thatistheworldasitis.Thatistherealworld.Itisthere,inthatbox."
Theywanderedthroughablood-coloredroomfilledwitholdtheatricalorgans,hugeorganpipes,andwhatappearedtobeenormouscopperbrewingvats,liberatedfromabrewery.
"Wherearewegoing?"askedShadow.
