Американские боги

           ButIstillthoughtIshouldcheckin.How’stheGuntherPurple-mobiledoing?"

           "Good,"saidShadow."It’sgood.Runningfine."

           "Pleasedtohearit."

           "Isawmynext-doorneighborinthelibrary,"saidShadow."MizOlsen.Iwaswondering…"

           "Whatcrawledupherbuttanddied?"

           "Ifyouwanttoputitlikethat."

           "Longstory.Youwanttoridealongforaspell,andI’lltellyouallaboutit."

           Shadowthoughtaboutitforamoment."Okay,"hesaid.Hegotintothecar,satinthefrontpassengerseat.Mulligandrovenorthoftown.Thenheturnedoffhislightsandparkedbesidetheroad.

           "DarrenOlsenmetMargeatUWStevensPointandhebroughtherbacknorthtoLakeside.Shewasajournalismmajor.Hewasstudying,shit,hotelmanagement,somethinglikethat.Whentheygothere,jawsdropped.Thiswas,what,thirteen,fourteenyearsago.Shewassobeautiful…thatblackhair…"Hepaused."DarrenmanagedtheMotelAmericaoverinCamden,twentymileswestofhere.ExceptnobodyeverseemedtowanttostopinCamdenandeventuallythemotelclosed.Theyhadtwoboys.AtthattimeSandywaseleven.Thelittleone—Leonisit?—wasjustababeinarms.

           "DarrenOlsenwasn’tabraveman.He’dbeenagoodhighschoolfootballplayer,butthatwasthelasttimehewasflyinghigh.Whatever.