Человек в высоком замке

           ThenlineFour,aneight.Yin.AndlineFive,alsoeight,ayinline.Goodlord,hethoughtexcitedly;onemoreyinlineandI’vegotHexagramEleven,T’ai,Peace.Veryfavorablejudgment.Or—hishandstrembledasherattledthecoins.AyanglineandhenceHexagramTwenty-six,TaCh’u,theTamingPoweroftheGreat.Bothhavefavorablejudgments,andithastobeoneortheother.Hethrewthethreecoins.

           Yin.Asix.ItwasPeace.

           Openingthebook,hereadthejudgment.

           PEACE.Thesmalldeparts.

           Thegreatapproaches.

           Goodfortune.Success.

           SoIoughttodoasEdMcCarthysays.Openmylittlebusiness.Nowthesixatthetop,myonemovingline.Heturnedthepage.Whatwasthetext?Hecouldnotrecall;probablyfavorablebecausethehexagramitselfwassofavorable.Unionofheavenandearth—butthefirstandlastlineswereoutsidethehexagramalways,sopossiblythesixatthetop…

           Hiseyespickedouttheline,readitinaflash.

           Thewallfallsbackintothemoat.

           Usenoarmynow.

           Makeyourcommandsknownwithinyourowntown.

           Perseverancebringshumiliation.

           Mybustedback!heexclaimed,horrified.Andthecommentary.

           Thechangealludedtointhemiddleofthehexagramhasbeguntotakeplace.Thewallofthetownsinksbackintothemoatfromwhichitwasdug.Thehourofdoomisathand…

           Itwas,beyonddoubt,oneofthemostdismallinesintheentirebook,ofmorethanthreethousandlines.Andyetthejudgmentofthehexagramwasgood.