Человек в высоком замке

           Thegirlgingerlypickedupthetwolightersandexaminedthem.

           "Don’tyoufeelit?"hekiddedher."Thehistoricity?"

           Shesaid,"Whatis‘historicity’?"

           "Whenathinghashistoryinit.Listen.OneofthosetwoZippolighterswasinFranklinD.Roosevelt’spocketwhenhewasassassinated.Andonewasn’t.Onehashistoricity,ahellofalotofit.Asmuchasanyobjecteverhad.Andonehasnothing.Canyoufeelit?"Henudgedher."Youcan’t.Youcan’ttellwhichiswhich.There’sno‘mysticalplasmicpresence,’no‘aura’aroundit."

           "Gee,"thegirlsaid,awed."Isthatreallytrue?Thathehadoneofthoseonhimthatday?"

           "Sure.AndIknowwhichitis.Youseemypoint.It’sallabigracket;they’replayingitonthemselves.Imean,agungoesthroughafamousbattle,liketheMeuse-Argonne,andit’sthesameasifithadn’t,unlessyouknow.It’sinhere."Hetappedhishead."Inthemind,notthegun.Iusedtobeacollector.Infact,that’showIgotintothisbusiness.Icollectedstamps.EarlyBritishcolonies."

           Thegirlnowstoodatthewindow,herarmsfolded,gazingoutatthelightsofdowntownSanFrancisco."Mymotheranddadusedtosaywewouldn’thavelostthewarifhehadlived,"shesaid.

           "Okay,"Wyndam-Matsonwenton."NowsupposesaylastyeartheCanadianGovernmentorsomebody,anybody,findstheplatesfromwhichsomeoldstampwasprinted.Andtheink.