Человек в высоком замке

           "Areyousure?"

           HawthorneAbendsensaid,"DoyouwantmetoautographacopyofTheGrasshopperforyou?"

           She,too,rosetoherfeet."IthinkI’llgo,"shesaid."Thankyouverymuch.I’msorryifIdisruptedyourevening.Itwaskindofyoutoletmein."GoingpasthimandCaroline,shemadeherwaythroughtheringofpeople,fromthelivingroomandintothebedroomwherehercoatandpursewere.

           Asshewasputtinghercoaton,Hawthorneappearedbehindher."Doyouknowwhatyouare?"HeturnedtoCaroline,whostoodbesidehim."Thisgirlisadathnon.Alittlechthonicspiritthat—"Heliftedhishandandrubbedhiseyebrow,partiallydislodginghisglassesindoingso."Thatroamstirelesslyoverthefaceoftheearth."Herestoredhisglassesinplace."She’sdoingwhat’sinstinctivetoher,simplyexpressingherbeing.Shedidn’tmeantoshowuphereanddoharm;itsimplyhappenedtoher,justastheweatherhappenstous.I’mgladshecame.I’mnotsorrytofindthisout,thisrevelationshe’shadthroughthebook.Shedidn’tknowwhatshewasgoingtodohereorfindout.Ithinkwe’reallofuslucky.Solet’snotbeangryaboutit;okay?"

           Carolinesaid,"She’sterribly,terriblydisruptive."

           "Soisreality,"Hawthornesaid.HeheldouthishandtoJuliana."ThankyouforwhatyoudidinDenver,"hesaid.

           Sheshookhandswithhim."Goodnight,"shesaid."Doasyourwifesays.Carryahandweapon,atleast."

           "No,"hesaid."Idecidedthatalongtimeago