Человек в высоком замке

           W-MCorporation’sstatedlegalbusinessconsistedinturningoutwrought-ironstaircases,railings,fireplaces,andornamentsfornewapartmentbuildings,allonamassbasis,fromstandarddesigns.Foranewforty-unitbuildingthesamepiecewouldbeexecutedfortytimesinarow.Ostensibly,W-MCorporationwasanironfoundry.Butinaddition,itmaintainedanotherbusinessfromwhichitsrealprofitswerederived.

           Usinganelaboratevarietyoftools,materials,andmachines,W-MCorporationturnedoutaconstantflowofforgeriesofpre-warAmericanartifacts.Theseforgerieswerecautiouslybutexpertlyfedintothewholesaleartobjectmarket,tojointhegenuineobjectscollectedthroughoutthecontinent.Asinthestampandcoinbusiness,noonecouldpossiblyestimatethepercentageofforgeriesincirculation.Andnoone—especiallythedealersandthecollectorsthemselves—wantedto.

           WhenFrinkhadquit,therelayhalf-finishedonhisbenchaColtrevolveroftheFrontierperiod;hehadmadethemoldshimself,donethecasting,andhadbeenbusyhandsmoothingthepieces.TherewasanunlimitedmarketforsmallarmsoftheAmericanCivilWarandFrontierperiod;W-MCorporationcouldsellallthatFrinkcouldturnout.Itwashisspecialty.

           Walkingslowlyovertohisbench,Frinkpickedupthestill-roughandburredramrodoftherevolver.Anotherthreedaysandthegunwouldbefinished.Yes,hethought,itwasgoodwork.