The Man In The High Castle

Juliana and Joe reach Denver. They buy "numbingly expensive" (128) clothes and entertain themselves, but Juliana detects that Joe is acting strange. He tries to tell her what to wear when they will visit Abendsen, for example, and then visits a barber shop to turn his hair blond. As soon as they check into the hotel, Joe explains her that they have no time to spare. He wants to visit Abendsen that night. If she does not agree, he explains, he will "kill" (131) her. Juliana begins to realize that Joe is not who he claimed to be. Juliana accuses Joe of working with the Nazis on a plot to "to kill Abendsen" (132). Joe confesses that he is actually from Switzerland and explains that he needs Juliana as part of his assassination plan because intelligence reports indicate that Abendsen is attracted to women fitting her description. Juliana feels overwhelmed. As she frets, she even contemplates killing herself. She clutches a razor blade. Rather than kill herself, however, she lashes out at Joe and cuts an artery in his neck. The wound is fatal and Juliana takes her new clothes and the money. She casually leaves the hotel room; Joe is left clutching at his throat as his blood pores onto the floor.