The Immovable Movers

           Motivepower—thoughtDagny,lookingupattheTaggartBuildinginthetwilight—wasitsfirstneed;motivepower,tokeepthatbuildingstanding;movement,tokeepitimmovable.Itdidnotrestonpilesdrivenintogranite;itrestedontheenginesthatrolledacrossacontinent.

           Shefeltadimtouchofanxiety.ShewasbackfromatriptotheplantoftheUnitedLocomotiveWorksinNewJersey,whereshehadgonetoseethepresidentofthecompanyinperson.Shehadlearnednothing:neitherthereasonforthedelaysnoranyindicationofthedatewhentheDieselengineswouldbeproduced.Thepresidentofthecompanyhadtalkedtoherfortwohours.Butnoneofhisanswershadconnectedtoanyofherquestions.Hismannerhadconveyedapeculiarnoteofcondescendingreproachwheneversheattemptedtomaketheconversationspecific,asifsheweregivingproofofill-breedingbybreakingsomeunwrittencodeknowntoeveryoneelse.

           Onherwaythroughtheplant,shehadseenanenormouspieceofmachineryleftabandonedinacorneroftheyard.Ithadbeenaprecisionmachinetoolonce,longago,ofakindthatcouldnotbeboughtanywherenow.Ithadnotbeenwornout;ithadbeenrottedbyneglect,eatenbyrustandtheblackdrippingsofadirtyoil.Shehadturnedherfaceawayfromit.Asightofthatnaturealwaysblindedherforaninstantbytheburstoftooviolentananger.