Американские боги

           "

           "No.Youdon’t.Lauracamehere.Shesaidsomethingwascallingherhere.AndwhataboutthecoincidencethatbroughtSamBlackCrowandAudreyBurtonhere,onthesamenight?Idon’tbelieveincoincidenceanymore.

           "SamBlackCrowandAudreyBurton.TwopeoplewhobothknewwhoIreallywas,andthattherewerepeopleouttherelookingforme.Iguessifoneofthemfailed,therewasalwaystheother.Andifallofthemhadfailed,whoelsewasontheirwaytoLakeside,Hinzelmann?Myoldprisonwarden,uphereforaweekend’sice-fishing?Laura’smother?"Shadowrealizedthathewasangry."Youwantedmeoutofyourtown.Youjustdidn’twanttohavetotellWednesdaythatwaswhatyouweredoing."

           Inthefirelight,Hinzelmannseemedmorelikeagargoylethananimp."Thisisagoodtown,"hesaid.Withouthissmilehelookedwaxenandcorpse-like."Youcouldhaveattractedtoomuchattention.Notgoodforthetown."

           "Youshouldhaveleftmebackthereontheice,"saidShadow."Youshouldhaveleftmeinthelake.Iopenedthetrunkoftheklunker.RightnowAlisonisstillicedintothetrunk.Buttheicewillmelt,andherbody’llfloatoutanduptothesurface.Andthenthey’llgodownandlookandseewhatelsetheycanfinddownthere.Findyourwholestashofkids.Iguesssomeofthosebodiesareprettywellpreserved."

           Hinzelmannreacheddownandpickedupthepoker.