Американские боги

           Therewasamiasmathathungaboutthecar,somethingthatwasatthesametimeafaint,foulsmellandwasalsoabadtasteinthebackofhisthroat.Hewalkedaroundthecar,lookinginside.Theseatswerestained,andripped.Thecarwasobviouslyempty.Hetriedthedoors.Theywerelocked.Hetriedthetrunk.Alsolocked.

           Hewishedthathehadbroughtacrowbar.

           Hemadeafistofhishandinsidehisglove.Hecountedtothree,thensmashedhishand,hard,againstthedriver’s-sidewindow-glass.

           Hishandhurt.Theside-windowwasundamaged.

           Hethoughtaboutrunningatit—hecouldkickthewindowin,hewascertain,ifhedidn’tskidandfallonthewetice.Butthelastthinghewantedtodowastodisturbtheklunkerenoughthattheicebeneathitwouldcrack.

           Helookedatthecar.Thenhereachedfortheradioantenna—itwasthekindwhichwasmeanttogoupanddown,butwhichhadstoppedgoingdownadecadeago,andhadremainedintheuppositioneversince—and,withalittlewaggling,hebrokeitoffatthebase.Hetookthethinendoftheantenna—ithadoncehadametalbuttonontheend,butthatwaslostintime,and,withstrongfingers,hebentitbackupintoamakeshifthook.

           Thenherammedtheextendedmetalantennadownbetweentherubberandtheglassofthefrontwindow,deepintothemechanismofthedoor.Hefishedinthemechanism,twisting,moving,pushingthemetalantennaaboutuntilitcaught:andthenhepulledup.