Американские боги
Chapter 7
Hepassedavalleyfilledwiththewreckageofthousandsofyellowbulldozers,tractorsandCaterpillars.Hewonderedifthiswasthebulldozers’graveyard,wherethebulldozerswenttodie.
HedrovepastthePop-a-TopLounge.HedrovethroughChester("HomeofPopeye").Henoticedthatthehouseshadstartedtogainpillarsoutfront,thateventheshabbiest,thinnesthousenowhaditswhitepillars,proclaimingit,insomeone’seyes,amansion.Hedroveoverabig,muddyriver,andlaughedoutloudwhenhesawthatthenameofit,accordingtothesign,wastheBigMuddyRiver.Hesawacoveringofbrownkudzuoverthreewinter-deadtrees,twistingthemintostrange,almosthumanshapes:theycouldhavebeenwitches,threebentoldcronesreadytorevealhisfortune.
HedrovealongsidetheMississippi.ShadowhadneverseentheNile,buttherewasablindingafternoonsunburningonthewidebrownriverwhichmadehimthinkofthemuddyexpanseoftheNile:nottheNileasitisnow,butasitwaslongago,flowinglikeanarterythroughthepapyrusmarshes,hometocobraandjackalandwildcow…
AroadsignpointedtoThebes.
Theroadwasbuiltupabouttwelvefeet,sohewasdrivingabovethemarshes.Clumpsandclustersofbirdsinflightwerequestingbackandforth,blackdotsagainstthebluesky,movinginsomekindofdesperateBrownianmotion.
