Американские боги
"It’snoteasytobelieve."
"I,"shetoldhim,"canbelieveanything.YouhavenoideawhatIcanbelieve."
"Really?"
"IcanbelievethingsthataretrueandIcanbelievethingsthataren’ttrueandIcanbelievethingswherenobodyknowsifthey’retrueornot.IcanbelieveinSantaClausandtheEasterBunnyandMarilynMonroeandtheBeatlesandElvisandMisterEd.Listen—Ibelievethatpeopleareperfectible,thatknowledgeisinfinite,thattheworldisrunbysecretbankingcartelsandisvisitedbyaliensonaregularbasis,niceonesthatlooklikewrinkledylemursandbadoneswhomutilatecattleandwantourwaterandourwomen.IbelievethatthefuturesucksandIbelievethatthefuturerocksandIbelievethatonedayWhiteBuffaloWomanisgoingtocomebackandkickeveryone’sass.IbelievethatallmenarejustovergrownboyswithdeepproblemscommunicatingandthatthedeclineingoodsexinAmericaiscoincidentwiththedeclineindrive-inmovietheatresfromstatetostate.IbelievethatallpoliticiansareunprincipledcrooksandIstillbelievethattheyarebetterthanthealternative.IbelievethatCaliforniaisgoingtosinkintotheseawhenthebigonecomes,whileFloridaisgoingtodissolveintomadnessandalligatorsandtoxicwaste.Ibelievethatantibacterialsoapisdestroyingourresistancetodirtanddiseasesothatonedaywe’llallbewipedoutbythecommoncoldliketheMartiansinWaroftheWorlds.
