Американские боги
Chapter 6
Nancy,"somethin’sgoin’toflyinthere."
Shadowclosedhismouthandswallowed,hard.
Therewasawoodenhallonahill,amileorsofromthem.Theyweretrottingtowardthehall,theirmounts’hoovesandfeetpaddingnoiselesslyonthedrysandatthesea’sedge.
Czernobogtrotteduponhiscentaur.Hetappedthehumanarmofhismount."Noneofthisistrulyhappening,"hesaidtoShadow.Hesoundedmiserable."Isallinyourhead.Bestnottothinkofit."
Shadowsawagray-hairedoldeast-Europeanimmigrant,withashabbyraincoatandoneiron-coloredtooth,true.Buthealsosawasquatblackthing,darkerthanthedarknessthatsurroundedthem,itseyestwoburningcoals;andhesawaprince,withlongflowingblackhair,andlongblackmoustaches,bloodonhishandsandhisface,riding,nakedbutforabearskinoverhisshoulder,onacreaturehalf-man,half-beast,itsfaceandtorsoblue-tattooedwithswirlsandspirals.
"Whoareyou?"askedShadow."Whatareyou?"
Theirmountspaddedalongtheshore.Wavesbrokeandcrashedimplacablyonthenightbeach.
Wednesdayguidedhiswolf—nowahugeandcharcoal-graybeastwithgreeneyes—overtoShadow.Shadow’smountcaracoledawayfromit,andShadowstrokeditsneckandtolditnottobeafraid.Itstigertailswished,aggressively.
