Атлант расправил плечи

           Thepersonnelofficedidnotreportthesedesertions,asthedirectiverequired;instead,Reardenbegantoseeunfamiliarfacesamongtheworkers,thedrawn,beatenfacesofthelongunemployed,andheardthemaddressedbythenamesofthemenwhohadquit.Heaskednoquestions.

           Therewassilencethroughoutthecountry.HedidnotknowhowmanyindustrialistshadretiredandvanishedonMay1and2,leavingtheirplantstobeseized.Hecountedtenamonghisowncustomers,includingMcNeiloftheMcNeilCarFoundryinChicago.Hehadnowayoflearningabouttheothers;noreportsappearedinthenewspapers.

           Thefrontpagesofthenewspapersweresuddenlyfullofstoriesaboutspringfloods,trafficaccidents,schoolpicnicsandgolden-weddinganniversaries.

           Therewassilenceinhisownhome.LillianhaddepartedonavacationtriptoFlorida,inmid-April;ithadastonishedhim,asaninexplicablewhim;itwasthefirsttripshehadtakenalonesincetheirmarriage.Philipavoidedhim,withalookofpanic.HismotherstaredatReardeninreproachfulbewilderment;shesaidnothing,butshekeptburstingintotearsinhispresence,hermannersuggestingthathertearswerethemostimportantaspecttoconsiderinwhateverdisasteritwasthatshesensedapproaching.

           OnthemorningofMay15,hesatatthedeskinhisoffice,abovethespreadofthemills,andwatchedthecolorsofthesmokerisingtotheclear,bluesky.