Chapter 7

           AstheHindugodsare"immortal"onlyinaveryparticularsense—fortheyarebornandtheydie—theyexperiencemostofthegreathumandilemmasandoftenseemtodifferfrommortalsinafewtrivialdetails…andfromdemonsevenless.YettheyareregardedbytheHindusasaclassofbeingsbydefinitiontotallydifferentfromanyother;theyaresymbolsinawaythatnohumanbeing,however"archetypal"hislifestory,caneverbe.Theyareactorsplayingpartsthatarerealonlyforus;theyarethemasksbehindwhichweseeourownfaces.

           WENDYDONIGERO’FLAHERTY,INTRODUCTION,HINDUMYTHS(PENGUINBOOKS,1975)

           Shadowhadbeenwalkingsouth,orwhathehopedwasmoreorlesssouth,forseveralhours,headingalonganarrowandunmarkedroadthroughthewoodssomewherein,heimagined,southernWisconsin.Severaljeepscamedowntheroadtowardhimatonepoint,headlightsblazing,andheduckedwellbackintothetreesuntiltheyhadpassed.Theearlymorningmisthungatwaistlevel.Thecarswereblack.

           When,thirtyminuteslater,heheardthenoiseofdistanthelicopterscomingfromthewest,hestruckoutawayfromthetimbertrailandintothewoods.Thereweretwohelicopters,andhelay,crouchedinahollowbeneathafallentree,andlistenedtothempassover.Astheymovedaway,helookedoutandlookedup,foronehastyglanceatthegraywintersky.Hewassatisfiedtoobservethatthehelicopterswerepaintedamatteblack.