Американские боги

           Wednesdaysighed,andlookeddownatthepaperwithanexpressionofpain,asifloweringhisheadhurtmorethanhecouldputintowords."Iam,"hesaid,"delightedthattheair-trafficcontrollers’disputehasbeenresolvedwithoutrecoursetoindustrialaction."

           "Notthat,"saidShadow."Look.Itsaysit’sthefourteenthofFebruary."

           "HappyValentine’sDay."

           "SowesetoutJanuarythewhat,twentieth,twenty-first?Iwasn’tkeepingtrackofthedates,butitwasthethirdweekofJanuary.Wewerethreedaysontheroad,alltold.SohowisitthefourteenthofFebruary?"

           "Becausewewalkedforalmostamonth,"saidWednesday."IntheBadlands.Backstage."

           "Hellofashortcut,"saidShadow.

           Wednesdaypushedthepaperaway."FuckingJohnnyAppleseed,alwaysgoingonaboutPaulBunyan.InreallifeChapmanownedfourteenappleorchards.Hefarmedthousandsofacres.Yes,hekeptpacewiththewesternfrontier,butthere’snotastoryoutthereabouthimwithawordoftruthinit,savethathewentalittlecrazyonce.Butitdoesn’tmatter.Likethenewspapersusedtosay,ifthetruthisn’tbigenough,youprintthelegend.Thiscountryneedsitslegends.Andeventhelegendsdon’tbelieveitanymore."

           "Butyouseeit."

           "I’mahas-been.Whothefuckcaresaboutme?"

           Shadowsaidsoftly,"You’reagod.