Человек в высоком замке

           "I’lldriveyouhome,"hesaidgrumpily.

           Shedressed,andthen,whilehegothercoatfromthecloset,shewanderedsilentlyabouttheapartment.Sheseemedpensive,withdrawn,evenalittledepressed.Thepastmakespeoplesad,herealized.Damnit;whydidIhavetobringitup?Buthell,she’ssoyoung—Ithoughtshe’dhardlyknowthename.

           Atthebookcasesheknelt."Didyoureadthis?"sheasked,takingabookout.

           Nearsightedlyhepeered.Luridcover.Novel."No,"hesaid."Mywifegotthat.Shereadsalot."

           "Youshouldreadit."

           Stillfeelingdisappointed,hegrabbedthebook,glancedatit.TheGrasshopperLiesHeavy."Isn’tthisoneofthosebanned-in-Bostonbooks?"hesaid.

           "BannedthroughtheUnitedStates.AndinEurope,ofcourse."Shehadgonetothehalldoorandstoodtherenow,waiting.

           "I’veheardofthisHawthorneAbendsen."Butactuallyhehadnot.Allhecouldrecallaboutthebookwas—what?Thatitwasverypopularrightnow.Anotherfad.Anothermasscraze.Hebentdownandstuckitbackintheshelf."Idon’thavetimetoreadpopularfiction.I’mtoobusywithwork."Secretaries,hethoughtacidly,readthatjunk,athomealoneinbedatnight.Itstimulatesthem.Insteadoftherealthing.Whichthey’reafraidof.Butofcoursereallycrave.

           "Oneofthoselovestories,"hesaidashesullenlyopenedthehalldoor.

           "No,"shesaid."Astoryaboutwar."Astheywalkeddownthehailtotheelevatorshesaid,"Hesaysthesamething.Asmymotheranddad."