Человек в высоком замке

           Atleast,thisfirstonehad.ButclearlytheyknewwhoMr.Bayneswas,andnodoubtwhathehadcomefor.

           "Theprognosis,"Mr.Tagomisaid,"isgloomy."

           Hewonderedifinthisinstancetheoraclewouldbeofanyuse.Perhapsitcouldprotectthem.Warnthem,shieldthem,withitsadvice.

           Stillquiteshaky,hebegantakingouttheforty-nineyarrowstalks.Wholesituationconfusingandanomalous,hedecided.Nohumanintelligencecoulddecipherit;onlyfive-thousand-year-oldjointmindapplicable.Germantotalitariansocietyresemblessomefaultyformoflife,worsethannaturalthing.Worseinallitsadmixtures,itspotpourriofpointlessness.

           Here,hethought,localSDactsasinstrumentofpolicytotallyatoddswithheadinBerlin.Whereinthiscompositebeingisthesense?WhoreallyisGermany?Whoeverwas?Almostlikedecomposingnightmareparodyofproblemscustomarilyfacedincourseofexistence.

           Theoraclewillcutthroughit.EvenweirdbreedofcatlikeNaziGermanycomprehensibletoIChing.

           Mr.Baynes,seeingMr.Tagomidistractedlymanipulatingthehandfulofvegetablestalks,recognizedhowdeeptheman’sdistresswas.Forhim,Mr.Baynesthought,thisevent,hishavinghadtokillandmutilatethesetwomen,isnotonlydreadful;itisinexplicable.

           WhatcanIsaythatmightconsolehim?Hefiredonmybehalf;themoralresponsibilityforthesetwolivesisthereforemine,andIacceptit.Iviewitthatway.

           ComingoverbesideMr.Baynes,GeneralTedekisaidinasoftvoice,"Youwitnesstheman’sdespair.