Атлант расправил плечи

           Eddie’seyeswereblue,wideandquestioning;hehadblondhairandasquareface,unremarkableexceptforthatlookofscrupulousattentivenessandopen,puzzledwonder. 

           "Whatdoyouwant?"snappedTaggart. 

           "Ijustcametotellyousomethingyouhadtoknow,becausesomebodyhadtotellyou." 

           "Thatwe’vehadanotheraccident?" 

           "Thatwecan’tgiveuptheRioNorteLine." 

           JamesTaggartseldomraisedhishead;whenhelookedatpeople,hedidsobyliftinghisheavyeyelidsandstaringupwardfromundertheexpanseofhisbaldforehead. 

           "Who’sthinkingofgivinguptheRioNorteLine?"heasked. "There’sneverbeenanyquestionofgivingitup. Iresentyoursayingit. Iresentitverymuch." 

           "Butwehaven’tmetascheduleforthelastsixmonths. Wehaven’tcompletedarunwithoutsomesortofbreakdown,majororminor. We’relosingallourshippers,oneafteranother. Howlongcanwelast?" 

           "You’reapessimist,Eddie. Youlackfaith. That’swhatunderminesthemoraleofanorganization." 

           "Youmeanthatnothing’sgoingtobedoneabouttheRioNorteLine?" 

           "Ihaven’tsaidthatatall. Justassoonaswegetthenewtrack—" 

           "Jim,thereisn’tgoingtobeanynewtrack." HewatchedTaggart’seyelidsmoveupslowly. "I’vejustcomebackfromtheofficeofAssociatedSteel. I’vespokentoOrrenBoyle." 

           "Whatdidhesay?" 

           "Hespokeforanhourandahalfanddidnotgivemeasinglestraightanswer."