Американские боги

           HefoundhimselfrememberingLowKeyLyesmith’stalltalesoftheMinnesotawinters—particularlytheoneaboutahuntertreedbyabearduringahardfreezewhotookouthisdickandpissedanarchingyellowstreamofsteamingurinethatwasalreadyfrozenhardbeforeithittheground,thensliddowntherock-hardfrozen-piss-poletofreedom.Awrysmileatthememoryandanotherdry,painfulcough.

           Stepafterstepafterstep.Heglancedback.Theapartmentbuildingwasnotasfarawayashehadexpected.

           Thiswalk,hedecided,wasamistake.Buthewasalreadythreeorfourminutesfromtheapartment,andthebridgeoverthelakewasinsight.Itmadeasmuchsensetopressonastogohome(andthenwhat?Callataxionthedeadphone?Waitforspring?Hehadnofoodintheapartment,heremindedhimself).

           Hekeptwalking,revisinghisestimatesofthetemperaturedownwardashewalked.Minus10?Minus20?Minus40,maybe,thatstrangepointonthethermometerwhenCelsiusandFahrenheitsaythesamething.Probablynotthatcold.Butthentherewaswindchill,andthewindwasnowhardandsteadyandcontinuous,blowingoverthelake,comingdownfromtheArcticacrossCanada.

           Heremembered,enviously,thechemicalhand-andfootwarmershehadtakenfromthemenintheblacktrain.Hewishedhehadthemnow.

           Tenmoreminutesofwalking,heguessed,andthebridgeseemedtobenonearer.Hewastoocoldtoshiver.Hiseyeshurt.