Американские боги
Chapter 7
Hewaitedbeneaththetreeuntilthenoiseofthehelicopterswascompletelygone.
Underthetreesthesnowwaslittlemorethanadusting,whichcrunchedunderfoot.Hewasdeeplygratefulforthechemicalhand-andfeetwarmers,whichkepthisextremitiesfromfreezing.Beyondthat,hewasnumb:heart-numb,mind-numb,soul-numb.Andthenumbness,herealized,wentalongwaydown,andalongwayback.
SowhatdoIwant?heaskedhimself.Hecouldn’tanswer,sohejustkeptonwalking,astepatatime,onandonthroughthewoods.Treeslookedfamiliar,momentsoflandscapewereperfectlydéjà-vued.Couldhebewalkingincircles?Maybehewouldjustwalkandwalkandwalkuntilthewarmersandthecandybarsranoutandthensitdownandnevergetupagain.
Hereachedalargestream,ofthekindthelocalscalledacreekandpronouncedcrick,anddecidedtofollowit.Streamsledtorivers,riversallledtotheMississippi,andifhekeptwalking,orstoleaboatorbuiltaraft,eventuallyhe’dgettoNewOrleans,whereitwaswarm,anideawhichseemedbothcomfortingandunlikely.
Therewerenomorehelicopters.Hehadthefeelingthattheonesthathadpassedoverheadhadbeencleaningupthemessatthefreighttrainsiding,nothuntingforhim,otherwisetheywouldhavereturned;therewouldhavebeentrackerdogsandsirensandthewholeparaphernaliaofpursuit.Instead,therewasnothing.
Whatdidhewant?Nottogetcaught.
