philip_k_dick_-_the_man_in_the_high_castle

'A moment, sir.'
A very long moment.
'Mr. Tagomi here.'
Mr. Baynes took a deep breath and said, 'Forgive this situation depressing to us both, sir — '
'Ah. Mr. Baynes.'
'Your hospitality to me sir, could not be exceeded. Someday I know you will have understanding
of the reasons which cause me to defer our conference until the old gentleman — '
'Regretfully, he has not arrived.'
Mr. Baynes shut his eyes. 'I thought maybe since yesterday — '
'Afraid not, sir.' The barest politeness. 'If you will excuse me, Mr. Baynes. Pressing business.'
'Good day, sir.'
The phone clicked. Today Mr. Tagomi had rung off without even saying good-bye. Mr. Baynes
slowly hung the receiver.
I must take action. Can wait no longer.
It had been made very clear to him by his superiors that he was not to contact the Abwehr under
any circumstances. He was simply to wait until he had managed to make connections with the
Japanese military representative; he was to confer with the Japanese, and then he was to return to
Berlin. But no one had forseen that Bormann would die at this particular moment. Therefore —
The orders had to be superseded. By more practical advice. His own, in this case, since there was
no one else to consult.
In the PSA at least ten Abwehr persons were at work, but some of them — and possibly all —
were known to the local SD and its competent senior regional chief, Bruno Kreuz vom Meere.
Years ago he had met Bruno briefly at a Partei gathering. The man had had a certain infamous
prestige in Police circles, inasmuch as it had been he, in 1943, who had uncovered the British-
Czech plot on Reinhard Heydrich's life, and therefore who might be said to have saved the
Hangman from assassination. In any case, Bruno K.reuz vom Meere was already then ascending in
authority within the SD. He was not a mere police bureaucrat.
He was, in fact, a rather dangerous man.
There was even a possibility that even with all the precautions taken, both on the part of the
Abwehr in Berlin and the Tokkoka in Tokyo, the SD had learned of this attempted meeting in San
Francisco in the offices of the Ranking Trade Mission. However, this was after all Japaneseadministered
land. The SD had no official authority to interfere. It could see to it that the German
principal — himself in this case — was arrested as soon as he set foot again on Reich territory; but
it could hardly take action against the Japanese principal, or against the existence of the meeting
itself.
At least, so he hoped.
Was there any possibility that the SD had managed to detain the old Japanese gentleman
somewhere along the route? It was a long way from Tokyo to San Francisco, especially for a
person so elderly and frail that he could not attempt air travel.
What I must do, Mr. Baynes knew, is find out from those above me whether Mr. Yatabe is still
coming. They would know. If the SD had intercepted him or if the Tokyo Government has recalled
him — they would know that.
And if they have managed to get to the old gentleman, he realized, they certainly are going to get
to me.
Yet the situation even in those circumstances was not hopeless. An idea had come to Mr. Baynes
as he waited day after day alone in his room at the Abhirati Hotel.