Mexicans arrive at the Rio Grande and stare at the river blocking their path. They pray to Jesus, and then the coyote tells them to stand up. The woman says that the current is fast but if they can't swim, they don't go. They enter the river and start crossing, staying close together. A Tattooed Man goes last, following his wife and daughter.
The coyote reaches the other side and arrive in America. One of them thanks God for the chance. The Tattooed Man is in the center of the river and starts to drown, unable to swim. As he goes under, Jesus appears and pulls him to the surface. The Tattooed <am swims to America, and everyone watches as Jesus walks across the water. He says that they know who he is and vanishes. Men drive up and open fire, killing the Mexicans. Jesus steps in their way and is gunned down, wounds in his chest and hands.
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Shadow and Wednesday walk along the highway, and Shadow demands to know who the New Gods were and what happened. Wednesday asks him what he believes he saw, and Shadow says that he doesn't know what he saw. His boss says that the dead policemen were a warning him and a sacrifice to themselves. it was all on the periphery until Shadow met him, and Wednesday admits that they're not safe now. Shadow wonders who Wednesday really is, and Wednesday says that if he told him then Shadow wouldn't believe him. When Shadow says that he saw his wife earlier that night, waiting for him in his room, Wednesday stops and turns.
Back at the motel, Shadow and Wednesday look at the devastation. Wednesday suggests that they depart as well. As they go to the car, Shadow says that he touched Laura and she kissed him. Wednesday asks if Shadow is scared, and tells him that in his experience the dead come back for a purpose. He figures that Laura's purpose was to let Shadow go, and tells him to get in the car. When Shadow hesitates, Wednesday says that Shadow has seen the people after them and what they can do, and he's leaving. Shadow gets in and Wednesday drives off. He sees Laura running after them, speeds up, and turns on the radio so that Shadow doesn't hear Laura calling his name.
Laura goes to the night clerk and asks where her car is. He tells her that the police thought it belonged to the dead woman and impounded it. Laura explains that she's the dead woman, and asks where the police is. Mad Sweeney comes in and says that the police are dead, and admits that he has a car. Laura tells him that they're going, and he tells her to pick one. Sweeney has her break the handcuffs on him first, and says that he's going with her until he has his coin back. He then steals a taxi cab and insists on driving, and says that he knows someone who can resurrect Laura. Sweeney warns Laura that whatever she is doesn't last long in a hot summer, and Laura wonders what Sweeney is. He tells her that he's a leprechaun, just as Salim aims a gun at them and tells them to stop stealing his cab. Salim asks Sweeney if he's ever met a djinn, and explains that he has been traveling toward Mecca looking for a djinn. After a moment, Salim lowers the gun and tells Salim to take them to Kentucky and then he'll tell him where to find a whole murder of gods.
As he drives, Wednesday tells Shadow that the dead are tenacious bastards and offers a charm that can lift grieving from a heart. Shadow points out that he's bleeding, and Wednesday pulls over. As he studies the wound, Shadow feels something moving inside the wound. Wednesday leads him out in front of a headlight, touches the wound, and tells him not to look. He talks about trees and how man worshipped them, and pulls the root out of Shadow's wound. They then get in the car and drive on.
As Salim drives, he talks about everything in New York sacred him. Laura tunes him out and watches Shadow's light in the distance. Sweeney finally tells Salim to shut up, and Laura closes the dividing window. She then asks Salim if he killed the cab's owner, Ibrahim, and Salim says that he never met Ibrahim. Salim figures that Ibrahim was given a new life just like Salim was. He and Laura figure that they should both fuck the assholes in their old lives, and Laura realizes that she'll never see her mother again. When she mentions that she's looking forward to being resurrected, Sweeney tells her that it's not for public consumption. Laura grabs his nose and tells him to shut up before lighting up a cigarette
Salim finally asks Laura if she's dead, and if she prayed for another life. Laura says that she was forced to pray in Sunday School, and her father told her to pray for her family. She prayed for her family to disappear, and Salim says that he prays to thank God for bringing him where he is. He prays that he finds the djinn because the djinn is his afterlife. Salim says that he wants to know more, and a chuckling Sweeney asks if he had sex with the djinn.
At the Vulcan factory in Kentucky, Richard Miller goes to his office and leans against a railing. It breaks and he falls into a vault of molten steel and dissolves, and his blood mixes with the steel. The steel is forged into bullets that are loaded into boxes.
Wednesday and Shadow arrive in the town of Kentucky. Wednesday explains that all of the citizens are dedicated to their America. Everybody that they pass have guns, and Wednesday says that everyone will defend what they believe in. They come to a parade and Wednesday says that if he knows his friend, it's a celebration and someone got tossed into a volcano. He explains that there was a faulty railing at the forge, and twice a year it happens.
As the town mayor addresses, the crowd, Wednesday tells Shadow that the mayor is Vulcan. The townspeople all fire their guns into the air to salute Richard, and Wednesday assure Shadow that Vulcan will join them. The crowd disperses and Wednesday advises Shadow to get back into the car. The bullets rain down and Wednesday and Vulcan hug in greeting. Wednesday tells Vulcan that he needs him to believe in him and gives him a bottle of wine, and introduces Shadow when he comes over. Vulcan says that he's heard that Wednesday is starting a war, and Wednesday says that they're all warring and losing, and the New Gods are taking honey from their mouths. Smiling, Vulcan says that he's not starving for honey and they should Wednesday something to eat.
Salim stops at a bar in Indiana and the three of them go inside. They order drinks and find a dark booth, and Sweeney warns Laura that she doesn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to him. The leprechaun tells her that her life is done, and she says that she only felt her heart beat when she kissed Shadow. Sweeney figures that the kiss ended Shadow's doubts that she's dead and tells Laura to take the hint. He tells her that Shadow is Wednesday's man now, and tells Laura to get a new life like Salim did. Salim admits he did, and Laura insists that Shadow made her heart beat again. Sweeney tells her that coming back from the dead is like anal sex but worse, and Laura says that she likes anal sex.
Night falls in Vulcan and Shadow looks at what Vulcan says is an old lynching tree. Shadow tells Wednesday that they should go, but Vulcan and Wednesday insist that they're safe there. However, Wednesday warns that someone is always watching. They go into Vulcan's house and he says that he became the god of the town through sacrifice. Vulcan suggests that Wednesday could sacrifice himself like he has before, and Wednesday says that world is closed to him.
Vulcan asks Shadow if he's ever seen a man hanged, and says that it's a terrible faith to find one's faith. He explains that he's franchised his faith, and those who worship him hold the volcano in the palm of their hand. Vulcan takes out his gun and says that it's filled with prayers in his name. He shoots a stuffed moose head and Wednesday ask Vulcan to come with him to Wisconsin and stand with him so the world will open to them once again. Vulcan agrees and asks when they leave, and Wednesday says when he forges a blade that Wednesday can wear on his hip. he needs it for when they stand together, and Vulcan tells him that he'll make him a blade worthy of the god.
Once Vulcan walks out, Shadow asks Wednesday if he trusts him. Wednesday says that he knows who Vulcan is and who he's always been, and he can trust that. Shadow figures that Vulcan knew he was lynched, and Wednesday says that it was a personal fuck you to him. He plans to use the blade to retort, and tells Shadow that he's distracted. Shadow admits that it's Laura, and Wednesday tells him to close his eyes. Shadow does so and Wednesday asks if he can see where Laura is. Concentrating, Shadow can see that Laura is outside of her parents' home in Indiana and doesn't feel the cold. Wednesday asks if Shadow can let Laura fade away.
Laura walks back to the taxi cab and tells Salim to drive. When he wonders if she wants to fuck those assholes, she agrees and they drive off.
Vulcan forges the blade and inscribes it with runes as Wednesday and Shadow look on. When Vulcan wonders why Wednesday is fighting the New Gods, Wednesday says that Vulcan has what's right for him and he wants the others to get the same. He asks if Vulcan told the New Gods that they're there, and Vulcan admits that he did and that they're coming. As Shadow looks around, Vulcan says that he's been advised to stay neutral. he insists that the New Gods are the tide. They gave him a gun and put power back in his hand, and every bullet fired is a prayer in his name. Vulcan tells Wednesday that his role in all of it is a martyr, and Wednesday says that Vulcan is the martyr. He takes the blade, cuts off Vulcan's head, and shoves him into the molten steel.
Shocked, Shadow stares at what happened and wonders what Wednesday has done. Wednesday hands Shadow the sword and pisses in the vat, saying that he's laying down a curse on the whole thing. The steel is forged into bullets that are loaded into boxes.
Salim stops to pray toward Mecca as Laura and Sweeney watch. He tells Laura that God is great, and she tells him that life is great. He agrees, as a bored Sweeney goes back to the taxicab.
Written by Gadfly on Jun 4, 2017