Человек в высоком замке

           Werewesuccessfullytosignagreementwithhisfirm,wecouldnodoubtreplacemanypresentmetals,quitescarce,withplastics."

           Foryears,thePacifichadbeentryingtogetbasicassistanceinthesyntheticsfieldfromtheReich.However,thebigGermanchemicalcartels,I.G.Farbeninparticular,hadharboredtheirpatents;had,infact,createdaworldmonopolyinplastics,especiallyinthedevelopmentofthepolyesters.Bythismeans,ReichtradehadkeptanedgeoverPacifictrade,andintechnologytheReichwasatleasttenyearsahead.TheinterplanetaryrocketsleavingFestungEuropaconsistedmainlyofheat-resistantplastics,verylightinweight,sohardthattheysurvivedevenmajormeteorimpact.ThePacifichadnothingofthissort;naturalfiberssuchaswoodwerestillused,andofcoursetheubiquitouspotmetals.Mr.Tagomicringedashethoughtaboutit;hehadseenattradefairssomeoftheadvancedGermanwork,includinganall-syntheticautomobile,theD.S.S.—DerSchnelleSpuk–whichsold,inPSAcurrency,foraboutsixhundreddollars.

           Buthisunderlyingquestion,onewhichhecouldneverrevealtothepinocsflittingaboutTradeMissionoffices,hadtodowithanaspectofMr.BaynessuggestedbytheoriginalcodedcablefromTokyo.Firstofall,codedmaterialwasinfrequent,anddealtusuallywithmattersofsecurity,notwithtradedeals.Andthecipherwasthemetaphortype,utilizingpoeticallusion,whichhadbeenadoptedtobaffletheReichmonitors—whocouldcrackanyliteralcode,nomatterhowelaborate.