Человек в высоком замке
Chapter 8
Andwhatwasit,nowthatthelastdothadbeenputonthatincrediblerecord,thatjourneyfromtheisolatedrustictowninAustria,upfromrottingpovertyinVienna,fromthenightmareordealofthetrenches,throughpoliticalintrigue,thefoundingoftheParty,totheChancellorship,towhatforaninstanthadseemednearworlddomination?
Karlknew.Bluff.AdolfHitlerhadliedtothem.Hehadledthemwithemptywords.
Itisnottoolate.Weseeyourbluff,AdolfHitler.Andweknowyouforwhatyouare,atlast.AndtheNaziParty,thedreadfuleraofmurderandmegalomaniacalfantasy,forwhatitis.Whatitwas.
Turning,Karlwalkedawayfromthesilentcasket…
Reissshutthebookandsatforatime.Inspiteofhimselfhewasupset.MorepressureshouldhavebeenputontheJaps,hesaidtohimself,tosuppressthisdamnbook.Infact,it’sobviouslydeliberateontheirpart.Theycouldhavearrestedthis—whateverhisnameis.Abendsen.TheyhaveplentyofpowerintheMiddleWest.
Whatupsethimwasthis.ThedeathofAdolfHitler,thedefeatanddestructionofHitler,thePartei,andGermanyitself,asdepictedinAbendsen’sbook…itallwassomehowgrander,moreintheoldspiritthantheactualworld.TheworldofGermanhegemony.
Howcouldthatbe?Reissaskedhimself.Isitjustthisman’swritingability?
Theyknowamilliontricks,thosenovelists.TakeDoctorGoebbels;that’showhestartedout,writingfiction.Appealstothebaseluststhathideineveryonenomatterhowrespectableonthesurface.
