Американские боги
Chapter 4
Tohelphimwithhisnonsense.Iwouldratherdie."
"Youwanttobet?Okay.IfIwin,youcomewithus."
Theoldmanpursedhislips."Perhaps,"hesaid."Butonlyifyoutakemyforfeit,whenyoulose."
"Andthatwouldbe?"
TherewasnochangeinCzernobog’sexpression."IfIwin,Igettoknockyourbrainsout.Withthesledgehammer.Firstyougodownonyourknees.ThenIhityouablowwithit,soyoudon’tgetupagain."Shadowlookedattheman’soldface,tryingtoreadhim.Hewasnotjoking,Shadowwascertainofthat:therewasahungerthereforsomething,forpain,ordeath,orretribution.
WednesdayclosedtheReader’sDigest."Thisisridiculous,"hesaid."Iwaswrongtocomehere.Shadow,we’releaving."Thegraycat,disturbed,gottoitsfeetandsteppedontothetablebesidethecheckersgame.Ifstaredatthepieces,thenleaptdownontothefloorand,tailheldhigh,itstalkedfromtheroom.
"No,"saidShadow.Hewasnotscaredofdying.Afterall,itwasnotasifhehadanythingtolivefor.’It’sfine.Iaccept.Ifyouwinthegame,yougetthechancetoknockmybrainsoutwithoneblowofyoursledgehammer,"andhemovedhisnextwhitepiecetotheadjoiningsquareontheedgeoftheboard.
Nothingmorewassaid,butWednesdaydidnotpickuphisReader’sDigestagain.Hewatchedthegamewithhisglasseyeandhistrueeye,withanexpressionthatbetrayednothing.
CzernobogtookanotherofShadow’spieces.ShadowtooktwoofCzernobog’s.Fromthecorridorcamethesmellofunfamiliarfoodscooking.
