Атлант расправил плечи
Account Overdrawn
"Haveyouthoughtofwhatyou’redoingtome?Youhavenorighttogoon,ifyouknowthatyou’reputtingmethroughhelleverytimeyousleepwiththatwoman!Ican’tstandit,Ican’tstandonemomentofknowingit!Willyousacrificemetoyouranimaldesire?Areyouasviciousandselfishasthat?Canyoubuyyourpleasureatthepriceofmysuffering?Canyouhaveit,ifthisiswhatitdoestome?"
Feelingnothingbuttheemptinessofwonder,heobservedthethingwhichhehadglimpsedbrieflyinthepastandwasnowseeinginthefulluglinessofitsfutility:thespectacleofpleasforpitydelivered,insnarlinghatred,asthreatsandasdemands.
"Lillian,"hesaidveryquietly,"Iwouldhaveit,evenifittookyourlife."
Sheheardit.Sheheardmorethanhewasreadytoknowandtohearinhisownwords.Theshock,tohim,wasthatshedidnotscreaminanswer,butthathesawher,instead,shrinkingdownintocalm."Youhavenoright..."shesaiddully.Ithadtheembarrassinghelplessnessofthewordsofapersonwhoknowsherownwordstobemeaningless.
"Whateverclaimyoumayhaveonme,"hesaid,"nohumanbeingcanholdonanotheraclaimdemandingthathewipehimselfoutofexistence."
"Doesshemeanasmuchasthattoyou?"
"Muchmorethanthat."
Thelookofthoughtwasreturningtoherface,butinherfaceithadthequalityofalookofcunning.Sheremainedsilent.
