Человек в высоком замке

           "Thesepersons,"Paulsaid,"laughed."

           Childanwassilent.

           "YetI,too,laughedbehindmyhand,invisibletoyou,"Paulsaid,"theotherdaywhenyouappearedandshowedmethisthing.Naturallytoprotectyoursangfroid,Iconcealedthatamusement;asyounodoubtrecall,Iremainedmoreorlessnoncommittalinmyapparentreaction."

           Childannodded.

           Studyingthepin,Paulwenton."Onecaneasilyunderstandthisreaction.Hereisapieceofmetalwhichhasbeenmelteduntilithasbecomeshapeless.Itrepresentsnothing.Nordoesithavedesign,ofanyintentionalsort.Itismerelyamorphous.Onemightsay,itismerecontent,deprivedofform."

           Childannodded.

           "Yet,"Paulsaid,"Ihaveforseveraldaysnowinspectedit,andfornologicalreasonIfeelacertainemotionalfondness.Whyisthat?Imayask.Idonotevennowprojectintothisblob,asinpsychologicalGermantests,myownpsyche.Istillseenoshapesorforms.ButitsomehowpartakesofTao.Yousee?"HemotionedChildanover."Itisbalanced.Theforceswithinthispiecearestabilized.Atrest.Sotospeak,thisobjecthasmadeitspeacewiththeuniverse.Ithasseparatedfromitandhencehasmanagedtocometohomeostasis."

           Childannodded,studiedthepiece.ButPaulhadlosthim.

           "Itdoesnothavewabi,"Paulsaid,"norcoulditever.But—"Hetouchedthepinwithhisnail."Robert,thisobjecthaswu."

           "Ibelieveyouareright,"Childansaid,tryingtorecallwhatwuwas;itwasnotaJapaneseword—itwasChinese.Wisdom,hedecided.