Американские боги

           Thisiswhattheyusedtosay,wherethegirlcamefrom:nomanmaybecertainwhofatheredachild,butthemother,ah,thatyoucouldbecertainof.Lineageandpropertywassomethingthatmovedinthematrilinealline,butpowerremainedinthehandsofthemen:amanhadcompleteownershipofhissister’schildren.

           Therewasawarinthatplace,anditwasasmallwar,nomorethanaskirmishbetweenthemenoftworivalvillages.Itwasalmostanargument.Onevillagewontheargument,onevillagelostit.

           Lifeasacommodity,peopleaspossessions.Enslavementhadbeenpartofthecultureofthosepartsforthousandsofyears.TheArabslavershaddestroyedthelastofthegreatkingdomsofEastAfrica,whiletheWestAfricannationshaddestroyedeachother.

           Therewasnothinguntowardorunusualabouttheirunclesellingthetwins,althoughtwinswereconsideredmagicalbeings,andtheirunclewasscaredofthem,scaredenoughthathedidnottellthemthattheyweretobesoldincasetheyharmedhisshadowandkilledhim.Theyweretwelveyearsold.ShewascalledWututu,themessengerbird;hewascalledAgasu,thenameofadeadking.Theywerehealthychildren,and,becausetheyweretwins,maleandfemale,theyweretoldmanythingsaboutthegods,andbecausetheyweretwinstheylistenedtothethingsthattheyweretold,andtheyremembered.

           Theirunclewasafatandlazyman.