Человек в высоком замке

           Goodgrief,shethought.Wherehaditcomefrom?Outofhissleeve;outoftheairitself.

           "That’swhytheVolkswagenpeoplehiredme.Servicerecord.WeprotectedourselvesagainstHaselden,thosecommandos;heledthem."Theblackeyesglinted;hegrinnedsidewaysatJuliana."GuesswhogottheColonel,thereattheend.WhenwecaughtthemontheNile—himandfourofhisLongRangeDesertGroupmonthsaftertheCairocampaign.Theyraidedusforgasolineonenight.Iwasonsentryduty.Haseldensneakedup,rubbedwithblackalloverhisfaceandbody,evenhishands;theyhadnowirethattime,onlygrenadesandsubmachineguns.Alltoonoisy.Hetriedtobreakmylarynx.Igothim."Fromthechair,Joesprangupather,laughing."Let’spack.Youtellthematthegymyou’retakingafewdaysoff;phonethem."

           Hisaccountsimplydidnotconvinceher.PerhapshehadnotbeeninNorthAfricaatall,hadnotevenfoughtinthewarontheAxisside,hadnotevenfought.Whathijackers?shewondered.NotruckthatsheknewofhadcomethroughCanonCityfromtheEastCoastwithanarmedprofessionalex-soldierasguard.MaybehehadnotevenlivedintheU.S.A.,hadmadeeverythingupfromthestart;alinetosnareher,togetherinterested,toappearromantic.

           Maybehe’sinsane,shethought.Ironic…ImayactuallydowhatI’vepretendedmanytimestohavedone:usemyjudoinself-defense.Tosavemy—virginity?Mylife,shethought.