Человек в высоком замке
Chapter 1
Whilehewashedandshaved,helistenedtothemiddaynewsontheradio.
"Letusnotderidethiseffort,"theradiowassayingashemomentarilyshutoffthehotwater.
No,wewon’t,Frinkthoughtbitterly.Heknewwhichparticularefforttheradiohadinmind.Yet,therewasafterallsomethinghumorousaboutit,thepictureofstolid,grumpyGermanswalkingaroundonMars,ontheredsandwherenohumanshadeversteppedbefore.Latheringhisjowls,Frinkbeganachantingsatiretohimself.Gott,HerrKreisleiter.IstdiesvielleichtderOrtwomandasKonzentrationslagerbildenkann?DasWetteristsoschon.Heiss,abendochschon…
Theradiosaid:"Co-ProsperityCivilizationmustpauseandconsiderwhetherinourquesttoprovideabalancedequityofmutualdutiesandresponsibilitiescoupledwithremunerations…"Typicaljargonfromtherulinghierarchy,Frinknoted."…wehavenotfailedtoperceivethefuturearenainwhichtheaffairsofmanwillbeactedout,betheyNordic,Japanese,Negroid…"Onandonitwent.
Ashedressed,hemulledwithpleasurehissatire.Theweatherisschon,soschon.Butthereisnothingtobreathe…
However,itwasafact;thePacifichaddonenothingtowardcolonizationoftheplanets.Itwasinvolved—boggeddown,rather—inSouthAmerica.WhiletheGermanswerebusybustlingenormousrobotconstructionsystemsacrossspace,theJapswerestillburningoffthejunglesintheinteriorofBrazil,erectingeight-floorclayapartmenthousesforex-headhunters.
