philip_k_dick_-_the_man_in_the_high_castle

to her; no suspicion. And, Robert Childan thought, then I give Betty a call on the phone tomorrow
or next day to get her reaction.
Even more airtight!
When Frank Frink saw his business partner coming back up the sidewalk he could tell that it had
not gone well.
'What happened?' he said, taking the wicker hamper from Ed and putting it in the truck. 'Jesus
Christ, you were gone an hour and a half. It took him that long to say no?'
Ed said, 'He didn't say no.' He looked tired. He got into the truck and sat.
'What'd he say, then?' Opening the hamper, Frink saw that a good many of the pieces were gone.
Many of their best. 'He took a lot. What's the matter, then?'
'Consignment,' Ed said.
'You let him?' He could not believe it. 'We talked it over — '
'I don't know how come.'
'Christ,' Frink said.
'I'm sorry. He acted like he was going to buy it. He picked a lot out. I thought he was buying.'
They sat together silently in the truck for a long time.
10
It had been a terrible two weeks for Mr. Baynes. From his hotel room he had called the Trade
Mission every day at noon to ask if the old gentleman had put in an appearance. The answer had
been an unvarying no. Mr. Tagomi's voice had become colder and more formal each day. As Mr.
Baynes prepared to make his sixteenth call, he thought, Sooner or later they'll tell me that Mr.
Tagomi is out. That he isn't accepting any more calls from me. And that will be that.
What has happened? Where is Mr. Yatabe?
He had a fairly good idea. The death of Martin Bormann had caused immediate consternation in
Tokyo. Mr. Yatabe no doubt had been en route to San Francisco, a day or so offshore, when new
instructions had reached him. Return to the Home Islands for further consultation.
Bad luck, Mr. Baynes realized. Possibly even fatal.
But he had to remain where he was, in San Francisco. Still trying to arrange the meeting for
which he had come. Forty-five minutes by Lufthansa rocket from Berlin, and now this. A weird
time in which we are alive. We can travel anywhere we want, even to other planets. And for what?
To sit day after day, declining in morale and hope. Falling into an interminable ennui. And
meanwhile, the others are busy. They are not sitting helplessly waiting.
Mr. Baynes unfolded the midday edition of the Nippon Times and once more read the headlines.
DR. GOEBBELS NAMED REICHS CHANCELLOR
Surprise solution to leadership problem by Partei Committee. Radio speech viewed decisive. Berlin
crowds cheer. Statement expected. Göring may be named Police Chief over Heydrich.
He reread the entire article. And then he put the paper once more away, took the phone, and gave
the Trade Mission number.
'This is Mr. Baynes. May I have Mr. Tagomi?'