Атлант расправил плечи

           ButIhavetostayhereforawhile.SoitwillhelpmeifIknowthatyou,atleast,areoutoftheirreach.Iwanttokeeponecleanpointinmymind,toleanagainst.Itwillbeonlyashortwhile—andthenI’llcomeforyou.Doyouunderstand?"

           "Yes,mydarling.Solong."

           ItwasweightlesslyeasytowalkoutofherofficeanddownthestretchinghallsofTaggartTranscontinental.Shewalked,lookingahead,herstepsadvancingwiththeunbroken,unhurriedrhythmoffinality.

           Herfacewasheldlevelandithadalookofastonishment,ofacceptance,ofrepose.

           ShewalkedacrosstheconcourseoftheTerminal.ShesawthestatueofNathanielTaggart.Butshefeltnopainfromitandnoreproach,onlytherisingfullnessofherlove,onlythefeelingthatshewasgoingtojoinhim,notindeath,butinthatwhichhadbeenhislife.

           ThefirstmantoquitatReardenSteelwasTomColby,rollingmillforeman,headoftheReardenSteelWorkersUnion.Fortenyears,hehadheardhimselfdenouncedthroughoutthecountry,becausehiswasa"companyunion"andbecausehehadneverengagedinaviolentconflictwiththemanagement.Thiswastrue:noconflicthadeverbeennecessary;Reardenpaidahigherwagescalethananyunionscaleinthecountry,forwhichhedemanded—andgot—thebestlaborforcetobefoundanywhere.

           WhenTomColbytoldhimthathewasquitting,Reardennodded,withoutcommentorquestions.