Человек в высоком замке

           WhitesandNegroeslivedandworkedandateshoulderbyshoulder,evenintheDeepSouth;WorldWarTwohadendeddiscrimination…

           "Istheretrouble?"JulianaaskedJoe.

           Hegrunted,keepinghiseyesontheroad.

           "Tellmewhathappens,"shesaid."IknowIwon’tgettofinishit;we’llbeinDenverprettysoon.DoAmericaandBritaingetintoawar,andoneemergesasruleroftheworld?"

           PresentlyJoesaid,"Insomewaysit’snotabadbook.Heworksallthedetailsout;theU.S.hasthePacific,aboutlikeourEastAsiaCo-ProsperitySphere.TheydivideRussia.Itworksforaroundtenyears.Thenthere’strouble—naturally."

           "Whynaturally?"

           "Humannature."Joeadded,"Natureofstates.Suspicion,fear,greed.ChurchillthinkstheU.S.A.isunderminingBritishruleinSouthAsiabyappealingtothelargeChinesepopulations,whonaturallyarepro-U.S.A.,duetoChiangKai-shek.TheBritishstartsettingup"—hegrinnedatherbriefly—"whatarecalled‘detentionpreserves.’Concentrationcamps,inotherwords.ForthousandsofmaybedisloyalChinese.They’reaccusedofsabotageandpropaganda.Churchillisso—"

           "Youmeanhe’sstillinpower?Wouldn’thebearoundninety?"

           Joesaid,"That’swheretheBritishsystemhasitovertheAmerican.EveryeightyearstheU.S.bootsoutitsleaders,nomatterhowqualified—butChurchilljuststayson.TheU.S.doesn’thaveanyleadershiplikehim,afterTugwell.Justnonentities.Andtheolderhegets,themoreautocraticandrigidhegets—Churchill,Imean.