Человек в высоком замке

           "Joe.ThisGrasshopperbook;isn’titbannedintheEastCoast?"

           Henodded.

           "Howcouldyoubereadingit,then?"Somethingaboutitworriedher."Don’ttheystillshootpeopleforreading—"

           "Itdependsonyourracialgroup.Onthegoodoldarmband."

           Thatwasso.Slavs,Poles,PuertoRicans,werethemostlimitedastowhattheycouldread,do,listento.TheAnglo-Saxonshaditmuchbetter;therewaspubliceducationfortheirchildren,andtheycouldgotolibrariesandmuseumsandconcerts.Butevenso…TheGrasshopperwasnotmerelyclassified;itwasforbidden,andtoeveryone.

           Joesaid,"Ireaditinthetoilet.Ihiditinapillow.Infact,Ireaditbecauseitwasbanned."

           "You’reverybrave,"shesaid.

           Doubtfullyhesaid,"Youmeanthatsarcastically?"

           "No."

           Herelaxedalittle."It’seasyforyoupeoplehere;youliveasafe,purposelesslife,nothingtodo,nothingtoworryabout.Outofthestreamofevents,leftoverfromthepast;right?"Hiseyesmockedher.

           "You’rekillingyourself,"shesaid,"withcynicism.Youridolsgottakenawayfromyouonebyoneandnowyouhavenothingtogiveyourloveto."Sheheldhisforktowardhim;heacceptedit.Eat,shethought.Orgiveupeventhebiologicalprocesses.

           Asheate,Joenoddedatthebookandsaid,"ThatAbendsenlivesaroundhere,accordingtothecover.InCheyenne.Getsperspectiveontheworldfromsuchasafespot,wouldn’tyouguess?Readwhatitways;readitaloud."

           Takingthebook,shereadthebackpartofthejacket.