Американские боги

           Sotowhomdoyousetupyourhouseholdaltar?Towhomdoyoubowdown?Towhomdoyouprayatdawnandatdusk?"Herlipsdescribedseveralshapeswithoutsayinganythingbeforeshesaid,"Thefemaleprinciple.It’sanempowermentthing.Youknow."

           "Indeed.Andthisfemaleprincipleofyours.Doesshehaveaname?"

           "She’sthegoddesswithinusall,"saidthegirlwiththeeyebrowring,colorrisingtohercheek."Shedoesn’tneedaname."

           "Ah,"saidWednesday,withawidemonkeygrin,"sodoyouhavemightybacchanalsinherhonor?Doyoudrinkbloodwineunderthefullmoon,whilescarletcandlesburninsilvercandleholders?Doyoustepnakedintothesea-foam,chantingecstaticallytoyournamelessgoddesswhilethewaveslickatyourlegs,lappingyourthighslikethetonguesofathousandleopards?"

           "You’remakingfunofme,"shesaid."Wedon’tdoanyofthatstuffyouweresaying."Shetookadeepbreath.Shadowsuspectedshewascountingtoten."Anymorecoffeeshere?Anothermochaccinoforyou,ma’am?"Hersmilewasalotliketheoneshehadgreetedthemwithwhentheyhadentered.

           Theyshooktheirheads,andthewaitressturnedtogreetanothercustomer.

           "There,"saidWednesday,"isonewho‘doesnothavethefaithandwillnothavethefun.’Chesterton.Paganindeed.So.