Американские боги

           Somewhereinthedistancehewasawarethathismouthandthroatwereburning,painfulandcracked.Sometimes,inthedaylight,hewouldseestarsfall;othertimeshesawhugebirds,thesizeofdeliverytrucks,flyingtowardhim.Nothingreachedhim;nothingtouchedhim.

           "Ratatosk.Ratatosk."Thechatteringhadbecomeascolding.

           Thesquirrellanded,heavily,withsharpclaws,onhisshoulderandstaredintohisface.Hewonderedifhewerehallucinating:theanimalwasholdingawalnut-shell,likeadoll’s-housecup,initsfrontpaws.TheanimalpressedtheshelltoShadow’slips.Shadowfeltthewater,and,involuntarily,hesuckeditintohismouth,drinkingfromthetinycup.Heranthewateraroundhiscrackedlips,hisdrytongue.Hewethismouthwithit,andswallowedwhatwasleft,whichwasnotmuch.

           Thesquirrelleaptbacktothetree,andrandownit,towardstheroots,andthen,inseconds,orminutes,orhours,Shadowcouldnottellwhich(alltheclocksinhismindwerebroken,hethought,andtheirgearsandcogsandspringsweresimplyajumbledownthereinthewrithinggrass),thesquirrelreturnedwithitswalnut-shellcup,climbingcarefully,andShadowdrankthewateritbroughttohim.

           Themuddy-irontasteofthewaterfilledhismouth,cooledhisparchedthroat.Iteasedhisfatigueandhismadness.

           Bythethirdwalnut-shell,hewasnolongerthirsty.