Американские боги
Chapter 4
Forthemostpartitisuninspected,unimagined,unthought,arepresentationofthething,andnotthethingitself.Itisafinefiction,hecontinued,pausingforamomenttodiphispenintheinkwellandcollecthisthoughts,thatAmericawasfoundedbypilgrims,seekingthefreedomtobelieveastheywished,thattheycametotheAmericas,spreadandbredandfilledtheemptyland.
Intruth,theAmericancolonieswereasmuchadumpinggroundasanescape,aforgettingplace.InthedayswhereyoucouldbehangedinLondonfromTyburn’striple-crownedtreeforthetheftoftwelvepennies,theAmericasbecameasymbolofclemency,ofasecondchance.Buttheconditionsoftransportationweresuchthat,forsome,itwaseasiertotaketheleapfromtheleaflessanddanceonnothinguntilthedancingwasdone.Transportation,itwascalled:forfiveyears,fortenyears,forlife.Thatwasthesentence.
Youweresoldtoacaptain,andwouldrideinhisship,crowdedtightasaslaver’s,tothecoloniesortotheWestIndies;offtheboatthecaptainwouldsellyouonasanindenturedservanttoonewhowouldtakethecostofyourskinoutinyourlaboruntiltheyearsofyourindentureweredone.ButatleastyouwerenotwaitingtohanginanEnglishprison(forinthosedaysprisonswereplaceswhereyoustayeduntilyouwerefreed,transported,orhanged:youwerenotsentencedthereforaterm),andyouwerefreetomakethebestofyournewworld.
