‘I read your book,’ Juliana said. ‘In fact I finished it this evening. How did you know all that, about the other world you wrote about?’
Hawthorne said nothing; he rubbed his knuckle against his upper lip, staring past her and frowning.
‘Did you use the oracle?’ Juliana said.
Hawthorne glanced at her.
‘I don’t want you to kid or joke,’ Juliana said. ‘Tell me without making something witty out of it.’
Chewing his lip, Hawthorne gazed down at the floor; he wrapped his arms about himself, rocked back and forth on his heels. The others in the room near by had become silent, and Juliana noticed that their manner had changed. They were not happy, now, because of what she had said. But she did not try to take it back or disguise it; she did not pretend. It was too important. And she had come too far and done too much to accept anything less than the truth from him.
‘That’s - a hard question to answer,’ Abendsen said finally.
‘No it isn’t,’ Juliana said.
Now everyone in the room had become silent; they all watched Juliana standing with Caroline and Hawthorne Abendsen.
[The Man in the High Castle, Dick, P. K.]
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