Человек в высоком замке

           Theywouldnothavehonoredtheirtreaty.Doyousee?"Turningtowardhimontheseat,grabbinghisshoulderwithintensity,shesaid,"AndsoGermanyandJapanwouldhavelostthewar!"

           Helaughed.

           Staringathim,seekingsomethinginhisface—hecouldnottellwhat,andanyhowhehadtowatchtheothercars—shesaid,"It’snotfunny.Itreallywouldhavebeenlikethat.TheU.S.wouldhavebeenabletolicktheJapanese.And—"

           "How?"hebrokein.

           "Hehasitalllaidout."Foramomentshewassilent."It’sinfictionform,"shesaid."Naturally,it’sgotalotoffictionalparts;Imean,it’sgottobeentertainingorpeoplewouldn’treadit.Ithasahuman-interesttheme;there’sthesetwoyoungpeople,theboyisintheAmericanArmy.Thegirl—well,anyhow,PresidentTugwellisreallysmart.HeunderstandswhattheJapsaregoingtodo."Anxiously,shesaid,"It’sallrighttotalkaboutthis;theJapshaveletitbecirculatedinthePacific.Ireadthatalotofthemarereadingit.It’spopularintheHomeIslands.It’sstirredupalotoftalk."

           Wyndam-Matsonsaid,"Listen.WhatdoeshesayaboutPearlHarbor?"

           "PresidentTugwellissosmartthathehasalltheshipsouttosea.SotheU.S.fleetisn’tdestroyed."

           "Isee."

           "So,therereallyisn’tanyPearlHarbor.Theyattack,butalltheygetissomelittleboats."

           "It’scalled‘TheGrasshoppersomething?’"

           "TheGrasshopperLiesHeavy.That’saquotefromtheBible."