Американские боги
Chapter 2
Itseemedveryunlikely.Butthen,thiswholeeveninghadbecomeincreasinglyunlikely.
Shadowtookthequarterhehadusedforthecointossfromthetable,enjoyingthesensationofafreshlymilledcoinagainsthisfingers,producingitinhisrighthandbetweenforefingerandthumb.Heappearedtotakeitintohislefthandinonesmoothmovement,whilecasuallyfinger-palmingit.Heclosedhislefthandontheimaginaryquarter.Thenhetookasecondquarterinhisrighthand,betweenfingerandthumb,and,ashepretendedtodropthatcoinintothelefthand,heletthepalmedquarterfallintohisrighthand,strikingthequarterheheldthereontheway.Thechinkconfirmedtheillusionthatbothcoinswereinhislefthand,whiletheywerenowbothheldsafelyinhisright.
"Cointricksisit?"askedSweeney,hischinraising,hisscruffybeardbristling."Why,ifit’scointrickswe’redoing,watchthis."
Hetookanemptyglassfromthetable.Thenhereachedoutandtookalargecoin,goldenandshining,fromtheair.Hedroppeditintotheglass.Hetookanothergoldcoinfromtheairandtosseditintotheglass,whereitclinkedagainstthefirst.Hetookacoinfromthecandleflameofacandleonthewall,anotherfromhisbeard,athirdfromShadow’semptylefthand,anddroppedthem,onebyone,intotheglass.Thenhecurledhisfingersovertheglass,andblewhard,andseveralmoregoldencoinsdroppedintotheglassfromhishand.
