Американские боги
Chapter 5
Sowhatiftheydidallgetthrownoutoftheplace?Wasn’titworthit,worthanything,tosaythatyouhadriddenontheWorld’sLargestCarousel?Wasn’titworthittohavetraveledononeofthosegloriousmonsters?
Shadowinspectedabulldog,andamer-creature,andanelephantwithagoldenhowdah,andthenheclimbedonthebackofacreaturewithaneagle’sheadandthebodyofatiger,andheldontight.
Therhythmofthe"BlueDanube"waltzrippledandrangandsanginhishead,thelightsofathousandchandeliersglintedandprismed,andforaheartbeatShadowwasachildagain,andallittooktomakehimhappywastoridetheCarousel:hestayedperfectlystill,ridinghiseagle-tigeratthecenterofeverything,andtheworldrevolvedaroundhim.
Shadowheardhimselflaugh,overthesoundofthemusic.Hewashappy.Itwasasifthelastthirty-sixhourshadneverhappened,asifthelastthreeyearshadnothappened,asifhislifehadevaporatedintothedaydreamofasmallchild,ridingthecarouselinGoldenGateParkinSanFrancisco,onhisfirsttripbacktotheStates,amarathonjourneybyshipandbycar,hismotherstandingthere,watchinghimproudly,andhimselfsuckinghismeltingPopsicle,holdingontightly,hopingthatthemusicwouldneverstop,thecarouselwouldneverslow,theridewouldneverend.Hewasgoingaroundandaroundandaroundagain…
Thenthelightswentout,andShadowsawthegods.
