Американские боги

           "Icouldeat,"hesaid.

           "There’sagoodplacejustpastthenextsetoflights.Goodfood.Cheap,too."

           Shadowpulledupintheparkinglot.Theygotoutofthecar.Hedidn’tbothertolockit,althoughhepocketedthekeys.Hepulledoutsomecoinstobuyanewspaper."Canyouaffordtoeathere?"heasked.

           "Yeah,"shesaid,raisingherchin."Icanpayformyself."

           Shadownodded."Tellyouwhat.I’lltossyouforit,"hesaid."Headsyoupayformydinner,tails,Ipayforyours."

           "Letmeseethecoinfirst,"shesaid,suspiciously."Ihadanunclehadadouble-headedquarter."

           Sheinspectedit,satisfiedherselftherewasnothingstrangeaboutthequarter.Shadowplacedthecoinhead-uponhisthumbandcheatedthetoss,soitwobbledandlookedlikeitwasspinning,thenhecaughtitandflippeditoverontothebackofhislefthand,anduncovereditwithhisright,infrontofher.

           "Tails,"shesaid,happily."Dinner’sonyou."

           "Yup,"hesaid."Youcan’twinthemall."

           Shadoworderedthemeatloaf,Samorderedlasagna.Shadowflippedthroughthenewspapertoseeiftherewasanythinginitaboutdeadmeninafreighttrain.Therewasn’t.Theonlystoryofinterestwasonthecover:crowsinrecordnumberswereinfestingthetown.