Spiders work at a loom, stitching clothing and helping their master, Mr. Nancy. Wednesday and Shadow wait while Nancy goes about his work. He finally stops and says that too much is going on and they should start with story. Wednesday doesn't want to hear it, but Nancy insists that he has a good one. He says that once upon a time there was a queen who had everything because she had the blessing to bestow and her place of worship was the place to be.
In a temple in Persia, Bilquis looks up at the sky. Her followers lift her up and worship her. Kings come to knock her off of her throne but don't last long. As she consumes each one and her worshippers as well. Bilquis kept the party going into the 1970s, taking lovers where she finds them to worship her and give up their lives. The kings keep coming and their men have guns and knives. They take her power, forcing her to the backseat, and Bilquis convinces herself that she's still in the game. Traveling to Hollywood by plane, she easily convinces an American to accompany her to the bathroom. A few minutes later, Bilquis emerges alone.
Bilquis walks the streets as a homeless woman after forgetting that there's a queen inside. She comes to an Ethiopian restaurant and sees a news report about a Hymaritic temple in Yemen being destroyed by men. One night, Technology Boy finds Bilquis in an alley and says that he knows they destroyed her altar. He offers her a new one, a dating app, and explains that worship is a volume business and whoever has the most worshippers wins the game.
Nancy asks if they get the moral to the story: that Wednesday should get himself a queen. He killed one of theirs, and Nancy tells Wednesday that Vulcan wasn't one of his for a while. Wednesday says that he's going to get himself their queen, and Nancy tells Shadow that spilling blood with Wednesday bound him to the man for life. Wednesday says that they have a compact, and Shadow tells him that he pissed him off and broke the compact by decapitating Vulcan. He figures that Shadow is confused and doesn't know how to ask his questions. Shadow admits that he's confused, and Wednesday tells him that the terms of their compact are intent. Shadow isn't angry, but he has to start getting angry. Nancy gives Shadow a suit to try on.
Later, Shadow dreams off climbing a mountain of skulls and finding a Tree at the top. The White Buffalo approaches him and they stare at each other... and Shadow wakes up in the car with Wednesday driving. Wednesday says that they're in Kentucky, and they drive up to a luxurious estate with rabbits following them. He tells Shadow to be nice to the lady they're meeting, but not too nice because she might take a fancy to Shadow and that wouldn't be good. Wednesday says that they might not be welcome at first, and runs over a group of rabbits sitting on the road in front of them.
The two men arrive at a country estate. They find a party going on inside with Easter decorations and food all about. Wednesday tells Shadow that people don't think of the truth of the day, and says that it's a pagan ritual to celebrate the beginning of spring. When people celebrate Easter for whatever reason, they don't realize that they're doing it in her name: Ostara.
Ostara welcomes everyone to her home, and a bearded man in white comes up and greets Shadow as "son." When Shadow wonders if he knows him, the man says that he does and walks off. Meanwhile, Ostara sees Wednesday and frowns for a moment, and tells the guests to check out the buffet. Shadow realizes that Ostara is Easter, and she's Easter because people believe that she is. Around the room, Shadow sees a Madonna and a man bleeding jelly beans. The man who talked to Shadow before--Jesus--kisses Easter's hand. Wednesday says that he is one Jesus and each denomination sees a different person. Shadow wonders who Wednesday is, and he says that Shadow wouldn't believe him if he told him.
Easter comes over and welcomes Wednesday, and wonders why he's there. He says that he's there for all their sakes, and introduces Shadow. Easter says he's a pleasure and they go outside. Wednesday explains that he was hoping to enlist her assistance, and Easter flirts with Shadow. She's heard of him, and tells him that there are many secret societies and some are dangerous. Wednesday tells her that she's still one of them, even though she's as unremembered as any of them. Easter insists that she's doing as well as ever, and various Jesus comes over. Wednesday points out that before Jesus came along, people worshipped her. Easter insists that they still do, and Wednesday asks her if anyone prays in her name. Jesus Prime says that he feels horrible about what's happened, and Wednesday tells him that when he was crucified, everyone worshipped him and everyone else got burned.
Furious, Easter takes Wednesday and Shadow inside and complains that Wednesday is uncorking all over Jesus. She says that all of the Jesus' have come to celebrate their day, but Wednesday says that they're just men, and it's Easter's day. She knows that they don't worship him, and Wednesday admits that he's an old fool. He says that the New Gods killed Vulcan after he pledged his allegiance to him and forged a blade. Wednesday takes out the sword and explains that now they need Spring to fight them and show the New Gods what they are. He promises that they will worship Easter if she makes them pray. When she says that they'll pray to Jesus, Shadow tells her that they're not the Goddess of Spring. Wednesday asks Shadow to step out while he talked to Wednesday and to stay sharp.
In Hollywood, Bilquis goes to the museum and gets a call from Technology Boy. She ignores it and looks at the remains of her temple on display, and Technology Boy arrives and says that she's avoiding him. Bilquis tells him that she's been occupied, and he says that she's done well with him. Now it's his turn to do well by her. Bilquis offers to take care of him, but Technology Boy tells her that he has no intention feeding her soul but has someone he does want her to feed on. He says that he's calling in what she owes him.
Laura and Mad Sweeney pull up to the estate to the ice cream truck and Laura says that Shadow is there. Inside, Shadow finds Jesus Prime sitting on water in the pool. The bodyguard asks if Jesus has always believed, and Jesus says that he is belief and doesn't know how not to. Shadow admits that he doesn't really believe any of it, and wonders if he's dreaming. Jesus tells him that he must walk his road to the end whether he believes or not.
As Easter examines the blood, Wednesday says that she should make people pray to her for food. They pray and she rewards. A rabbit whispers a message to Wednesday, and Easter says that she has to go.
Laura looks at herself in a bathroom mirror and coughs up maggots. Sweeney is outside, and Easter arrives and complains that he brought her a dead girl in her manor. Laura steps out and Easter inspects her. Sweeney explains that he doesn't want her to be dead for selfish reasons, and asks if Easter can bring Laura back. Easter explains that she's not like Sweeney, and Sweeney reminds her that she owes him a favor. he explains that they know Shadow is there and who he's with, and it's best if Shadow doesn't know Sweeney is there and who he's there with.
Easter asks Laura how she feels, and Laura explains that death hurts. Easter says that Jesus was dreamed back to life on his death, and says that she can bring life because that has always been her gift. Laura says that she'd really like to be alive to feel what she's feeling. Easter says that she has to first find out why Laura is dead. She looks Laura in the eyes and sees the last image that Laura saw before she died: Sweeney. Easter asks Sweeney if he's still working for Wednesday. When he says that he is, Easter wonders if they have a problem. She tells Laura that she's dead of a different kind and can't help her because she was killed by a god and she can't interfere. A rabbit whispers a message to Easter, and she says that she has other guests and quickly leaves. Laura asks Sweeney which god killed her.
One of Technology Boy's droogs is dancing with Media. Easter arrives and Media says that they have a standing date on the holiday since they built it together. Easter quickly leads her away.
Laura holds Sweeney up by his ground and demands answers, and he finally admits that he killed her. She figures that he's not a god and demands to know which god killed her. Sweeney finally tells her that Wednesday did it, and Laura drops him and demands an explanation. The leprechaun says that Laura was sacrificed, not murdered, and Laura figures that it was because of Shadow. Sweeney insists that Shadow is nothing and no one, and admits that Wednesday screwed up her perfect plan to rob the casino. Laura realizes that Wednesday screwed up their entire lives, and Sweeney tells her that gods fuck with all of them. They needed Shadow to be in a place where he had nothing left in the world. Laura asks him what Wednesday has to lose.
Shadow returns to Wednesday and finds him looking out the window at Media. he says that they're there, and looks up at the sky.
Media asks Easter if Wednesday is there. Easter says that he was there and trying to enlist her. The droogs multiply, and Media asks for details of Wednesday's plans. Easter says that she escorted Wednesday out before she could give him details, and complains that she feels misrepresented in the media. Media tells her to ignore it, and reminds her that St. Nick took the same deal that Easter did. She asks what happens if they all decide that God doesn't exist.
The droogs dance around Easter, and Wednesday and Shadow comes out. Wednesday asks what happens if they all decide that God does exist. There's plenty of worship to go around once worship gets redistributed, and Media insists that the New Gods are the distributors. Technology Boy joins her, and Wednesday says that they inspire while the New Gods only provide. Technology Boy tells him that Wednesday doesn't have the juice and things are never going back to the way they were. Wednesday asks why they're there if he doesn't matter, and Media says that they're there for Easter. Wednesday says he matters because belief matters.
World appears and tells Wednesday that he only matters in matters of war... and there won't be a war because they have everything. A storm forms overhead as World says that they will either kill the Old Gods or wait them out. Wednesday dedicates the deaths to Easter, and a lightning bolt slams down and kills the droogs. He tells Shadow that he has faith, and asks Shadow if he wants to know his name. Shadow tells him to tell him, and Wednesday says that he is Odin as the storm swirls around them. He tells Easter to show them who she is, and she steps forward and brings the dawn. A wind swirls around her, and the storm disappears.
A blight spreads throughout the land, and Media wonders what she's done. World appears on one of the droogs, and tells them that they will have a war and they will die in it. Wednesday says that they've taken the spring, and they can have it back when they pray for it. He asks Shadow what he believe sin, and Shadow says that he believes everything.
Laura and Sweeney step out on the balcony above, and Laura says that she wants to have a word with her husband. Shadow stares at her and smiles.
Bilquis rides on a bus heading to the House on the Rock in Wisconsin. She asks the man next to her where the bathroom is.
Written by Gadfly on Jun 18, 2017