...I don't believe in Him, and if He does exist, I don't like Him. His type of gods aren't gods who echo how mortals behave. They're gods who are held up as example of perfection to be emulated. They're not gods of the people. They're remote and inaccessible, they demand blind, unthinking obedience from their followers. They're dictators. We Aesir and Vanir, by contrast, are mirrors. Other gods rule. We reflect and magnify. We are you, only more so. We share your flaws and foibles. We are as humanlike as we are divine, and I think we are all the better for that.

We need our goats!” I yelled.I waded through the crowd until I reached our chariot. I grabbed Otis’s face and pressed my forehead against his.“Testing,” I whispered. “Is this goat on? Thor, can you hear me?”“You have beautiful eyes,” Otis told me.