Американские боги

           "Hisvoicewasfaint—notactuallyquiet,buttherewasaqualitytoitthatmadeShadowthinkofanoldradionotquitetunedintoadistantstation."IfIhadn’tdiedforreal,wecouldneverhavegotthemhere,"saidWednesday."KaliandtheMorriganandtheLoaandthefuckingAlbaniansand—well,you’veseenthemall.Itwasmydeaththatdrewthemalltogether.Iwasthesacrificiallamb."

           "No,"saidShadow."YouweretheJudasGoat."

           Thewraith-shapeintheshadowsswirledandshifted."Notatall.ThatimpliesthatIwasbetrayingtheoldgodsforthenew.Whichwasnotwhatweweredoing."

           "Notatall,"whisperedLoki.

           "Icanseethat,"saidShadow."Youtwoweren’tbetrayingeitherside.Youwerebetrayingbothsides."

           "Iguesswewereatthat,"saidWednesday.Hesoundedpleasedwithhimself.

           "Youwantedamassacre.Youneededabloodsacrifice.Asacrificeofgods."

           Thewindgrewstronger;thehowlacrossthecavedoorbecameascreech,asifofsomethingimmeasurablyhugeinpain.

           "Andwhythehellnot?I’vebeentrappedinthisdamnedlandforalmosttwelvehundredyears.Mybloodisthin.I’mhungry."

           "Andyoutwofeedondeath,"saidShadow.

           HethoughthecouldseeWednesday,now,standingintheshadows.Behindhim—throughhim—werethebarsofacagewhichheldwhatlookedlikeplasticleprechauns.