Человек в высоком замке

           Theycertainlylookedgood,thesefewselectpieces,eachpainstakinglygoneoverforbadwelds,roughorsharpedges,spotsoffirecolor…theirqualitycontrolwasexcellent.Theslightestdullnessorwirebrushscratchhadbeenenoughreasontoreturnapiecetotheshop.Wecan’taffordtoshowanycrudeorunfinishedwork;oneunnoticedblackspeckonasilvernecklace—andwe’refinished.

           Ontheirlist,RobertChildan’sstoreappearedfirst.ButonlyEdcouldgothere;ChildanwouldcertainlyrememberFrankFrink.

           "Yougottodomostoftheactualselling,"Edsaid,buthewasresignedtoapproachingChildanhimself;hehadboughtagoodsuit,newtie,whiteshirt,tomaketherightimpression.Nonetheless,helookedill-at-ease."Iknowwe’regood,"hesaidforthemillionthtime."But—hell."

           Mostofthepieceswereabstract,whirlsofwire,loops,designswhichtosomeextentthemoltenmetalshadtakenontheirown.Somehadaspider-webdelicacy,anairiness;othershadamassive,powerful,almostbarbaricheaviness.Therewasanamazingrangeofshape,consideringhowfewpieceslayonthevelvettrays;andyetonestore,Frinkrealized,couldbuyeverythingwehavelaidouthere.We’llseeeachstoreonce—ifwefail.Butifwesucceed,ifwegetthemtocarryourline,we’llbegoingbacktorefillorderstherestofourlives.

           Together,thetwoofthemloadedthevelvetboardtraysintothewickerbasket.Wecouldgetbacksomethingonthemetal,Frinksaidtohimself,ifworsecomestoworst.