Американские боги
Thismountaintopwasthequintessenceofplace,theheartofthingsastheywere.Comparedtoit,theLookoutMountainhehadleftwasapaintingonabackdrop,orapapiermâchémodelseenonaTVscreen—merelyarepresentationofthething,notthethingitself.
Thiswasthetrueplace.
Therockwallsformedanaturalamphitheater.Pathsofstonewoundaroundandacrossit,formingtwistynaturalbridgesthatEscheredthroughandacrosstherockwalls.
Andthesky…
Theskywasdark.Itwaslit,andtheworldbeneathitwasilluminated,byaburninggreenish-whitestreak,brighterthanthesun,whichforkedcrazilyacrosstheskyfromendtoend,likeawhiteripinthedarkenedsky.
Itwaslightning,Shadowrealized.Lightningheldinonefrozenmomentthatstretchedintoforever.Thelightitcastwasharshandunforgiving:itwashedoutfaces,hollowedeyesintodarkpits.
Thiswasthemomentofthestorm.
Theparadigmswereshifting.Hecouldfeelit.Theoldworld,aworldofinfinitevastnessandillimitableresourcesandfuture,wasbeingconfrontedbysomethingelse—awebofenergy,ofopinions,ofgulfs.
Peoplebelieve,thoughtShadow.It’swhatpeopledo.Theybelieve.Andthentheywillnottakeresponsibilityfortheirbeliefs;theyconjurethings,anddonottrusttheconjurations.Peoplepopulatethedarkness;withghosts,withgods,withelectrons,withtales.