Worlds Collide [The Man In The High Castle]

6

Joe and I were both silent the entire way to the Embassy. We presented our ID papers, and were told they had been expecting us. We were escorted up to a conference room to wait. Joe picked up a book on Berlin architecture, avoiding my stare. "Joe, talk to me," I pleaded.

"I'm thinking," he said finally.

"Well, think out loud."

"How long?" He asked after a moment. And then, "Does your dad know?"

"Years, Joe. It happened just before I met you. And no, of course not. I'm a spy, I know what I'm doing."

"You're a double agent," he whispered, as if someone was listening.

"Yeah." I watched him. I had no idea what he was thinking. For once, my training was failing me. "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to put you in danger. Before this week, only three people had seen Artemis. No one knew Artemis and Charlotte Smith were the same person."

"You trusted me with Athena."

"I trust you with Artemis too, but I was scared. I didn't know if you'd understand. I didn't want to lose you." I shook my head. "But now, I've seen what you've done for Juliana. I want to tell you everything."

"How'd it start?"

"A few years back, I was on a case in New Berlin. I'd only been Athena for a year or so, but I was overconfident. I thought I had my mark right where I wanted him, turns out he was setting me up. He didn't try to hurt me. He only wanted to change my mind. He showed me one of the films," I explained. "It showed America winning the war, and life after. It was amazing. After that I started helping the Resistance."

"With smuggling the films?"

I shook my head. "I provided intel. In return I got to see the films before they were passed on. My men brought me info on The Man In The High Castle. Those films are more than fiction. I don't know how, but they're real, Joe."

"Juliana thinks so too."

I nodded. "That film today, Frank was in it, and so were you. I know it wasn't you, but it was. There's no way they made that up."

"That doesn't make sense, Lottie." He was shaking his head.

"It sounds crazy, I know it does. But, what if...what if there's another world out there? Where we won the war?"

"I think you've been reading too many books." I stared at him. "Or maybe your right, but...I don't know Lottie."

"I've spent years trying to figure out this puzzle. I think this film is the key to cracking it." He still looked unconvinced. "Now I-" The door opened, cutting me off.

"Ah, sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Ambassador Reiss and this is Oberfüher Diels. We've booked you tickets on the next rocket back to New York, you leave in a few hours." He smiled at us. "Make yourself comfortable here, I have other meetings to attend to."

The Ambassador left us with the Oberfüher. "So, Mr. Blake, you report directly to Obergruppenführer Smith?" Joe nodded. Diels side-eyed me. He was probably wondering why my dad had let me come to the Pacific States and what strings he'd had to pull. "Was your mission here successful?" He pressed.

"I can't really talk about that, sir."

"Of course." Diels looked at us both, smiled, and left the room. Something was definitely weird about all this, but I wasn't ready to sound the alarm bells just yet.

Joe and I resumed our waiting. Then the phone rang. We both stared at it for a moment. Finally I picked up the receiver. "Ambassador Reiss?" I recognized the voice. It was the condescending SS agent who worked for my father.