It took me a couple of reads to get this one (since I hadn't read the story in about 12 years) but there's a joke made (once, maybe twice, I'll find out next read-through):

"Media? Isn't she the one who killed her children?"
"Different woman, same deal."

This is a reference to Medea, which is a play by Euripides. For a synopsis:

http://www.theatrehistory.com/ancient/bates018.html

Medea was wife to Jason (of the Golden Fleece and Argonauts fame). However, Jason left her to marry someone else, and she became jealous and slew the children that she had with Jason. Here's a link to the english language translation:

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Aabo%3Atlg%2C0006%2C003&query=1

Huh, is that the line? I thought it was more explicit than that, but maybe that was just cause I got it without thinking about it? I thought whoever said the line actually said something like, "No, that was Medea, same deal though". It was a really clever joke though, and not all joke either...

Page 338 (American First Edition hard cover, in case anyone looks through the archives). They're in the center of America, and Czernobog says, "Media. I think I have heard of her. Isn't she the one who killed her children?"

"Different woman," said Mr. Nancy. "Same Deal."

[This message has been edited by Ntolnry (edited 09-06-2001).]

lol, i didn't get it...i was thinking of all the Andrea Yates ( ) type crimes that the media seems to drool over...the Medea joke is funny and less...dark than what I thought he was referring to.