Американские боги

           "Thentheelephanttookthemouse,whichhad,bysomemeansthatShadowcouldnotperceive,becometinywhilenotchanginginsizeatall,andpasseditfromhandtohandtohand,fingerscurlingaboutitasthelittlebrowncreaturescamperedfrompalmtopalm,andShadowwasnotatallsurprisedwhentheelephant-headedgodfinallyopenedallfourofhishandstorevealthemperfectlyempty.Heshruggedarmafterarmafterarminapeculiarfluidmotion,andlookedatShadow,hisfaceunreadable.

           "It’sinthetrunk,"Shadowtoldtheelephantman,whohadseentheflickeringtailvanish.

           Theelephantmannoddedhishugehead,andsaid,"Yes.Inthetrunk.Youwillforgetmanythings.Youwillgivemanythingsaway.Youwilllosemanythings.Butdonotlosethis."Andthentherainsbegan,andShadowwasawakeoncemore.Hetumbled,shiveringandwet,fromdeepsleeptowakefulnessinmoments.Theshiveringintensified,untilitscaredShadow:hewasshiveringmoreviolentlythanhehadeverimaginedpossible,aseriesofconvulsiveshudderswhichbuiltuponeachother.Hewilledhimselftostopshaking,butstillheshivered,histeethbangingtogether,hislimbstwitchingandjerkingbeyondhiscontrol.Therewasrealpainthere,too,adeep,knife-likepainthatcoveredhisbodywithtiny,invisiblewounds,intimateandunbearable.

           Heopenedhismouthtocatchtherainasitfell,moisteninghiscrackedlipsandhisdrytongue,wettingtheropesthatboundhimtothetrunkofthetree.