The Man In The High Castle

Wyndam-Matson has dinner with a young woman. His meal is interrupted by a telephone call from a furious Ray Calvin, who demands to know why he was sold "lousy fakes" (40). When Wyndam-Matson points out that Ray knew the guns were fake, Ray insists that he demanded fakes of a higher quality. He wants his money back, explaining how Childan received a visited from an unnamed man. The factory owner suspects that Frank Frink might have been the mysterious stranger. He plans to bribe Frank and Ed for now but to pay a police contact to delve into their past for "anything of use" (41). He suspects that Frank is Jewish and, if he reveals this to the authorities, Frank will be sent to a gas chamber in New York. Promising Ray that he will resolve the situation, Wyndam-Matson returns to his meal.

Rita, the young woman with whom he is sharing his meal, suggests that he go to the authorities. Wyndam-Manton sticks to his plan to bribe Frank to ensure that news of the forgeries does not get out. He argues with Rita over the reality of antiques and that authenticity means "nothing really" (42). To prove his point, he shows her two cigarette lighters that were supposedly in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's pocket when he was assassinated in 1933; one is real, one is fake. He insists that the only real difference is the authenticity certificate. The argument annoys Rita and she asks to be taken home. At the same time, she sees a book belonging to Wyndam-Matson's wife titled The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, which imagines an alternative history in which German and Japan lost World War II. Rita praises the book, but Wyndam-Matson dismisses it as nonsense, claiming that the Allied forces could never have beaten the Axis powers because they were ruined in World War I, "morally and spiritually" (44). He insists that history can only have happened one way.

Tagomi hosts the meeting with Baynes in his home. They talk about the I Ching and, inspired by the stuffed head mounted on Tagomi's wall, the extinct American buffalo, which he refers to as the "creature which sustained the aboriginal in the bygone days"(45). Togami is frustrated by Baynes's unexpected announcement that they cannot begin their meeting in earnest until they are joined by an elderly Japanese man who is arriving in San Francisco in a few days. He asks Tagomi to keep the man's arrival quiet for tax reasons. The old man, Baynes says, is named Shinjiro Watanabe and he loves to discuss flowers, particularly rhododendrons. Annoyed, Togami mentions how the Nazis kill their elderly people once they reach a certain age. Baynes is confused. He wonders whether his conversation with Lotze might have caused an unexpected issue. Announcing that he is feeling tired and that his head is sore, Baynes makes his excuses and leaves. Togami surprises Baynes with a gesture: He has recruited a young Swedish student to drive Baynes to his hotel. Baynes is aggravated; now, he must pretend to understand Swedish. 

Juliana shops for groceries and reads magazine articles about German space exploration and the television, a recent Nazi invention. She wonders who will appear in these television shows as the Nazis killed most comedians "because most of them were Jewish" (49). She speculates about who will take over as the head of the Nazi state and fears that Baldur von Schirach, her preferred candidate because he "looks normal" (50), stands no chance. When she returns home, Joe is still asleep in her bed. When he wakes and dresses, Juliana shares a joke about Nazi attitudes toward Jewish people then asks him about his tattoo. Joe explains that the "blue letter C" (51) stands for “Cairo,” where he served with the Italian army during World War II. Juliana notices that he carries a medal among his few possessions and a copy of The Grasshopper Lies Heavy. He talks about the novel's alternative version of history, in which Italy betrays the Nazis leading to an Allied victory. Joe is annoyed that the book's depiction of "the cowardly Italian Army" (52) does not correspond with reality, in which the Italians have their own fascist empire in North Africa. As they speak, a radio broadcast announces the death of Martin Bormann. Juliana is surprised by the menacing side of Joe she had not previously noticed and notes that he defended the Nazis, claiming that they esteem "the dignity of labor" (54). Juliana criticizes Joe's cynical view of the world. Joe mentions that the author of the book is named Hawthorne Abendsen, and he lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming. According to the rumor, Abendsen lives in a mansion that is "practically a fortress" (56), named the High Castle. Joe and Juliana argue over whether Abendsen's novel depicts a better version of reality, and they argue about the Nazi policy of exterminating the Jewish people. Noting that Juliana seems "scared of men" (57), Joe assures her that he would never hurt her.

In San Francisco, Tagomi consider his situation. The student driver reported back that Baynes does not speak Swedish, so Tagomi's suspicions that Baynes is a spy seem correct. However, Tagomi looks forward to his meeting with Baynes and the mysterious elderly Japanese man. Tagomi is summoned to an important meeting to deal with the death of Martin Bormann. The Japanese officials discuss Bormann's likely successor. They believe either Hermann Goring, Joseph Goebbels, Reinhard Heydrich, Baldur von Schirach, or Doctor Seyss-Inquart will be elected. Each man has various atrocities attached to his name and seems to be suffering from some form of mental debilitation.

Togami feels suddenly ill and leaves the meeting. After listening to the list of violence and genocides perpetrated by the most powerful men in the world, he cannot help but think that evil is very real. He returns to his own office while listening to a colleague's explanation of what happened in the rest of the meeting. The Japanese authorities believe that, despite the astonishing violence committed by the powerful Nazi empire, the violent policies have been an economic disaster, saved only by "the formidable technological achievements of German science and industry" (61). As such, the Germans are likely to make "the worst, rather than the best, choice" (62) for their next leader. Tagomi tries to write a letter of condolence to the German embassy but cannot hide his mocking tone. He gives up, telling his secretary to do with the letter as she pleases. He receives a frantic phone call from Baynes, who hangs up quickly. Tagomi consults the I Ching, which tells him of impending "Oppression—Exhaustion" (64).

Frank consults the I Ching. Despite his fears, the Wyndam-Matson company pays him $2,000. He will use this money to start his jewelry business with Ed, which they plan to name Edfrank Custom Jewelers.