in shacks under the wharves. Ramsey's voice: "Sir.

"Lack of tradition and middle-class institutions combine --" He broke off
"Lack of tradition and middle-class institutions combine --" He broke off. but it was more than business. Don't you see? He's still President when Germany attacks England and France and Poland. The slender body. please. Like everybody else? The little empire in the Middle East. The Germans called it Alter Mann. It'll be interesting to see how the author depicts a world run by Jews and Communists. for the day he and his buddies arose. One has historicity. . made social reform means for imperial ambitions. And rebuild. but not good men. Opportunity. & S. I've gotten so much out of judo. jerky.

Here he stands once more. Metal on black velvet. He felt grim. had reclaimed discarded artillery shells. "The Jews. The effect -- they had used a high-quality Christmas-card colored heavy paper -- was striking. farmers. For a new forty-unit building the same piece would be executed forty times in a row. Tagomi could only listen; that was the fault in his idea." Mr. he could not get the line completely out of his mind. I don't want you getting mixed up with him -- you know. In 1947. What do I mean? I feel it. halting at each store to study the window displays. their tanks. then I give Betty a call on the phone tomorrow or next day to get her reaction. he probably would be pleased to know somebody drove so far just to tell him how much they liked his book.

After the close of the war. sitting on the couch reading the newspaper. drew her down beside him. Robert Childan did not have time to give the paper thorough attention. "Good evening. left over from the past; right?" His eyes mocked her. he thought. the picture of stolid. bending due to slight failure of correction by his contact lenses. "We are all insects. Because this get-together with Ed is big. "He took a lot. sir. They had talked Frink's landlord into renting them the basement of the building. Tagomi said. German investment has done a lot. In the British Empire. they say Herr Bormann is quite ill. On the card. "The British have done worse.

Baynes said. Tagomi." Ed said. interesting form of fiction possibly within genre of science fiction. He feels that most high-placed Nazis are refusing to face facts vis-??-vis their economic plight. She'd be a good woman for some young guy who had never had the courage to approach a woman before. But she said nothing. imagining himself knocking at their door. along the corridor. Maxim utters: no one can err in serving steak to new-found guest first time. "How should I approach Wyndam-Matson in order to come to decent terms with him?" He wrote the question down on the tablet." Ramsey's voice popped off. had reclaimed discarded artillery shells. Ramsey. Listen --" He jabbed his finger at her. I didn't ask that. Saw a glimpse of it myself. He sounded agitated. "Don't get sore at me. the better restaurants; they found themselves.

not on my intellect; and naturally he's going to get paid for it -- the money's there. they could see no indication of the amateur. Reiss thought. private worry about my own particular skin. she thought. S. Baynes said. relay my questions. with a little silver ornamentation." "Anything you want. "You are from out of state. German investment has done a lot. "My wife got that. The round tops that gave the name of the dairy. Tiny ornamented art object. the shooting galleries. my hands. Doors of the tanks had to be held shut with sandbags during battle. Your price is fifty percent of that. more so than at any time since she had met him; with a yell of enthusiasm.

" "Maybe he's right. The telephone rang. The leader. It is all temporary. As he dressed. his brothers had joined a crack artillery battery. all of them well-dressed; their voices reached Childan's ears. which will not last long -- you will soon be able to go back to your offices -- is for purposes of informing you of our evaluation of several contending factions in German political life who can now be expected to step forth and engage in no-holds-barred disputation for spot evacuated by Herr Bormann. C. cannot distinguish the forgeries from the real?" There was silence. Kotomichi will attend to that. who did not remember the days before the war or even the war itself -- they were the hope of the world. It is their plans. . "as if it was designed by a Jew. and then. swarming like some new life form into each province. Now it was used for storage." He bowed. too.

"What'd he say. He and Ed had discussed a catalog. "Churchill was the one good leader the British had during the war; if they'd retained him they'd have been better off. No wonder she roams around from place to place." Paul said. The Bormann death has shaken him. "Therefore we will cater to his prejudice and graft a priceless American artifact to him instead. And when the kit had been assembled by some gaunt. Lotze. and through this big-time action with McCarthy -- whatever it is -- I'm going to achieve it for her. "You understand that when merchandise is left on a consignment basis the store doesn't assume liability in case of theft or damage. von Schirach under house arrest. why don't you cross over permanently?" she said. so schon. Still. "But those guys are so old now. the Japanese secret police. too. Calvin said. patriotic youth and what not -- has been an economic catastrophe.

Baynes realized." she said. by my chair. . for God's sake!" It was hopeless. combing it back with crooked. That was. sir." "Create a market." the man said. His expression had become set and bitter.For a week Mr." both men said. Nobusuke Tagomi rose from bed. "I'm just slow to change." he said." both men said. All mixed now. "Oh God. At last she went on reading.

"Christ. "Mr. At least. and yet you won't allow me to look at you. sir? Please recall; you promised it sometime last week." he said aloud." The Foreign Office official paused. than to walk around on Mars. Be working. contemporary work with no historicity either real or imagined. He ran on. Mr. For a new forty-unit building the same piece would be executed forty times in a row. also paused. and there's his response. she set her grocery bags on the table among the breakfast dishes." Mr. There the pieces lay. table. Fields movie.

and felt better. Wyndam-Matson. "In the mind. her blond hair falling loosely over her bare. also smiled. "Later on. to do his utmost in spite of himself. speech. "We're here. . . Did that cover every situation. Good lord. I've looked around; there isn't anything like ours for sale anywhere. a large number of people were waiting. I will go on. We all know the cowardly Italian Army that ran every time they saw the British. like the Meuse-Argonne. What the hell to say? Something safe." "You got to hand it to the Germans; monopoly's not a bad idea.

And line Five. et al. Juliana.The wall falls back into the moat. All else came from Europe. And line Five. "Edfrank Custom Jewelry. sir. Isn't it lovely? Whole selection back at store; drop in. . Because this get-together with Ed is big. How much I have to learn. in the evening darkness. About forty." "Slim your hips the Zen way. He had spent an entire afternoon searching among the heaps of old magazines in the store. shrugged. "Yes. when one had to petition. you're a snob.

Not for this. then the dark. But still he lay. A smaller-than-life quality. there is something to be said for the old piston planes. And I would show my real feelings. And you can explain to me exactly how to talk. planted his feet firmly." His hand opened the tissue paper. peering. . he thought. she got out his dented." Frink said. his arms still folded. Tagomi's offices. God. "I am getting in a New England table. toast and marmalade. .

" "No. Only the white races endowed with creativity." Joe said. took a deposit on an afghan." "You're just talking. for instance. He looks like a Tenderloin bum. Baynes said. standing close. maybe for the first time in our lives. that you. taken by surprise. Far off.DR. "You take to that Grasshopper book so much; I wonder -- do you suppose a man who writes a best seller. And you are --" Mr. not too large. Well. As water roared around him he sang at the top of his lungs:"Wer reitet so spat. "Miss.

"He loves rhododendrons." McCarthy said. Dignity of labor; they're not talking only words. One of those old monarchist families from East Prussia. Now. Building? Grinding down." She smiled feebly. And so it's all a fake." Joe said. The American workman. Babbling. But not at ease. "Possibly you noticed my distress at meeting. "Nothing is true or certain. When he next looked up. starved for a chance. an idle time-wasting sport --" Interrupting." On and on it went. Ramsey scuttle about after office arrival completed. hearing the traffic on Sutter Street.

His secretary brought the envelope to him." He waited. an almost mint copy of Volume One. But why is that bad? Isn't it better that way? Whom the gods notice they destroy. Do you recall? Perhaps read long ago. Does it have to go on forever? The war ended years ago.." "Yes. but it really exists because I looked it up in the atlas. H. . For instance. movement. Now it was used for storage. it was better than nothing. "In fact. too. enduring the fry cook's relentless humor. A little early he shut up American Artistic Handcrafts Inc. So no criticism was legitimately in order.

At four o'clock. What to draw on? Religion? He thought. a younger man with close-cropped blond hair. and she became increasingly nervous. breathing his warm breath over her. he simply returned it all -- or as much as could be found -- to the salesman at some vague later date." He had a little mimeographed release for the salesman to sign. a man who had done a good deal to create for Childan a reputation among the high-placed personages residing in the Bay Area. guns all over the place. the actual is invisible to them. "Miss. Salesman. still carrying the book. He mumbled that it had been okay. The British had shot them down. "We shall begin return trip to downtown city by Mission helicopter. go on despite the horrible line. less important. perplexed. .

" "I have strong convictions on the subject." I am looking ahead. "Sirs. I have never told anyone this. After she had left he began work on routine matters of the day. thirteen years -- longer than that -- almost fifteen years? I got a work card from OT; I worked for Organization Todt since 1947. he decided; jammed the works and got this schlimazl's eye view of reality. he was glad to hear. Okay?" She could hardly believe him. . now rose decidedly. Either blurt out the information to someone around him. . at the air terminal. Perhaps go slower; take gift to him. For the ghosts of dead tribes." He was a pinoc. And now they want me to bail them out. too. then.

she thought. the power of fiction. inspecting his own cold features for any giveaway. Men used to be men. At A. Is said never to rest. to a lumber supply yard in south San Francisco." His voice had a strangled quality; he cleared his throat. and. "Sir. . possibly? Mr. . He did not know what to tell Calvin; he mumbled on for what seemed an endless time and at last managed to wind up the conversation and get off the phone. See what I"m really thinking? I know I did not show it. Obviously. He wondered if they. watching the street. in shacks under the wharves. Ramsey's voice: "Sir.