Человек в высоком замке

           Whatisclueoftruththatconfrontsmeinthisobject?

           Yield,hetoldthesilvertriangle.Coughuparcanesecret.

           Likefrogpulledfromdepths,hethought.Clutchedinfist,givencommandtodeclarewhatliesbelowinthewateryabyss.Butherethefrogdoesnotevenmock;itstranglessilently,becomesstoneorclayormineral.Inert.Passesbacktotherigidsubstancefamiliarinitstombworld.

           Metalisfromtheearth,hethoughtashescrutinized.Frombelow:fromthatrealmwhichisthelowest,themostdense.Landoftrollsandcaves,dank,alwaysdark.Yinworld,initsmostmelancholyaspect.Worldofcorpses,decayandcollapse.Offeces.Allthathasdied,slippinganddisintegratingbackdownlayerbylayer.Thedaemonicworldoftheimmutable;thetime-that-was.

           Andyet,inthesunlight,thesilvertriangleglittered.Itreflectedlight.Fire,Mr.Tagomithought.Notdankordarkobjectatall.Notheavy,weary,butpulsingwithlife.Thehighrealm,aspectofyang:empyrean,ethereal.Asbefitsworkofart.Yes,thatisartist’sjob:takesmineralrockfromdarksilentearthtransformsitintoshininglight-reflectingformfromsky.

           Hasbroughtthedeadtolife.Corpseturnedtofierydisplay;thepasthadyieldedtothefuture.

           Whichareyou?heaskedthesilversquiggle.Darkdeadyinorbrilliantlivingyang?Inhispalm,thesilversquiggledancedandblindedhim;hesquinted,seeingnowonlytheplayoffire.

           Bodyofyin,soulofyang.Metalandfireunified.Theouterandinner;microcosmosinmypalm.