| “ | I'll tell you all my secrets But I lie about my past So send me off to bed forever more |
” |
–Tom Waits, Tango Til They're Sore | ||
In Chapter Ten, Shadow gets to know more about the residents and the town of Lakeside, including the Chief of Police, Chad Mulligan, and Shadow's next door neighbor, Marguerite Olsen. Mr. Wednesday comes to visit and takes Shadow on a trip to Las Vegas to recruit more Old Gods for the coming war.
Plot[]
Shadow wakes up from a dream where he's about to be ritually sacrificed and finds his new apartment in Lakeside is freezing cold. He decides to attempt the supposed ten-minute walk into town but underestimates how cold it is. Just as he approaches the bridge into Lakeside, Chief of Police Chad Mulligan pulls up next to him and offers him a ride into town. He takes Shadow to Mabel's diner for breakfast and Mulligan tells Shadow he will help him find a car. After breakfast, he takes Shadow shopping for clothes and groceries as they talk about Mike Ainsel's "uncle" Emerson.
Mulligan drops Shadow off to buy a purple jeep from Missy Gunther and she chats with Shadow about the people in the town and his new neighbor, Marguerite Olsen and her son. Shadow returns home and Hinzelmann comes to drop off a welcome basket and shares stories with Shadow about the area and tales about his childhood. After he leaves, Shadow heads next door to ask his neighbor, Marge Olsen, about how to keep his apartment warmer.
Wednesday arrives in Lakeside and takes Shadow with him to Las Vegas to meet another Old God. It is the same god Shadow had chauffeured from the House on the Rock with Mama-ji and Alviss and Shadow still cannot seem to remember anything about the god, including his name. In Vegas, the god follows around briefcases full of cash as Wednesday and Shadow follow him in a taxi. Wednesday corners him in a bar and asks him if he's in the war against the New Gods and the god ultimately says yes for some Soma. Wednesday later explains to Shadow that Soma is like bottled prayers and love for the gods. Shadow asks for Wednesday's help with Laura's not dead status and Wednesday admits he doesn't know why she's not dead. Wednesday returns Shadow to Lakeside and warns him to remain there to avoid detection.
Myths[]
Dreams[]
Shadow dreams he is climbing a mountain, (only to realize after asking Easter) made of skulls from past lives—to find thunderbirds (much to wednesdays chagrin) before his trip to San Francisco with Wednesday to find Easter, of the Dawn.
Coin tricks[]
Places[]
- Lakeside, WI
- Las Vegas, NV
People[]
- Shadow
- Chad Mulligan
- Mabel
- Alison McGovern
- Missy Gunther
- Hinzelmann
- Marguerite Olsen
- Leon Olsen
- Mr. Wednesday