Человек в высоком замке

           "Isee,"Mrs.Abendsensaidgood-naturedly.

           "WestoppedoffatDenverandshopped,sowelostalotoftime."No,shethought;it’sallchanged,alldifferent."Listen,"shesaid,"theoracletoldmetocometoCheyenne."

           "Ohmy,"Mrs.Abendsensaid,soundingasifsheknewabouttheoracle,andyetnottakingthesituationseriously.

           "I’llgiveyouthelines."Shehadbroughttheoraclewithherintothephonebooth;proppingthevolumesupontheshelfbeneaththephone,shelaboriouslyturnedthepages."Justasecond."ShelocatedthepageandreadfirstthejudgmentandthenthelinestoMrs.Abendsen.Whenshegottothenineatthetop—thelineaboutsomeonestrikinghimandmisfortune—sheheardMrs.Abendsenexclaim."Pardon?"Julianasaid,pausing.

           "Goahead,"Mrs.Abendsensaid.Hertone,Julianathought,hadamorealert,sharpenedqualitynow.

           AfterJulianahadreadthejudgmentoftheForty-thirdhexagram,withtheworddangerinit,therewassilence.Mrs.AbendsensaidnothingandJulianasaidnothing.

           "Well,we’lllookforwardtoseeingyoutomorrow,then,"Mrs.Abendsensaidfinally."Andwouldyougivemeyourname,please?"

           "JulianaFrink,"shesaid."Thankyouverymuch,Mrs.Abendsen."Theoperator,now,hadbrokenintoclamoraboutthetimebeingup,soJulianahungupthephone,collectedherpurseandthevolumesoftheoracle,leftthephoneboothandwalkedovertothedrugstorefountain