Американские боги

           "Everybody’ssomebody’ssonorbrotherorsomething."

           "Thatwasn’twhatImeant,"saidAlison.Headlightsframedthemallforonebrilliantwhitemoment.Behindtheheadlightswasastationwagonwithamotherinit,andinmomentsittookthegirlsandtheirbagsaway,leavingShadowstandingaloneintheparkinglot.

           "Youngman?AnythingIcandoforyou?"Theoldmanwaslockingupthevideostore.Hepocketedhiskeys."Storeain’topenChristmas,"hetoldShadowcheerfully."ButIcomedowntomeetthebus.Makesureeverythingwasokay.Couldn’tlivewithmyselfifsomepoorsoul’dfound’emselvesstrandedonChristmasDay."HewascloseenoughthatShadowcouldseehisface:oldbutcontented,thefaceofamanwhohadsippedlife’svinegarandfoundit,byandlarge,tobemostlywhiskey,andgoodwhiskeyatthat.

           "Well,youcouldgivemethenumberofthelocaltaxicompany,"saidShadow.

           "Icould,"saidtheoldman,doubtfully,"butTom’llbeinhisbedthistimeofnight,andevenifyoucouldrousehimyou’llgetnosatisfaction—IsawhimdownattheBuckStopsHereearlierthisevening,andhewasverymerry.Verymerryindeed.Whereisityou’reaimingtogo?"

           Shadowshowedhimtheaddresstagonthedoorkey.

           "Well,"hesaid,"that’saten-,mebbeatwenty-minutewalkoverthebridgeandaround.