Атлант расправил плечи

           Onhisfirstdayinheroffice,hetoldmethatitwasn’tagoodideatohaveapictureofNatTaggartonthewall—‘NatTaggart,’hesaid,‘belongstoadarkpast,totheageofselfishgreed,heisnotexactlyasymbolofourmodern,progressivepolicies,soitcouldmakeabadimpression,peoplecouldidentifymewithhim.’‘No,theycouldn’t,’Isaid—butItookthepictureoffhiswall...What?...No,shedoesn’tknowanyofit.Ihaven’tcommunicatedwithher.

           Notonce.Shetoldmenotto...Lastweek,Ialmostquit.ItwasoverChick’sSpecial.Mr.ChickMorrisonofWashington,whoeverthehellheis,hasgoneonaspeakingtourofthewholecountry—tospeakaboutthedirectiveandbuildupthepeople’smorale,asthingsaregettingtobeprettywildeverywhere.Hedemandedaspecialtrain,forhimselfandparty—asleeper,aparlorcarandadinerwithbarroomandlounge.TheUnificationBoardgavehimpermissiontotravelatahundredmilesanhour—byreason,therulingsaid,ofthisbeinganon-profitjourney.Well,soitis.It’sjustajourneytotalkpeopleintocontinuingtobreaktheirbacksatmakingprofitsinordertosupportmenwhoaresuperiorbyreasonofnotmakingany.Well,ourtroublecamewhenMr.ChickMorrisondemandedaDieselengineforhistrain.Wehadnonetogivehim.EveryDieselweownisoutontheroad,pullingtheCometandthetranscontinentalfreights,andtherewasn’taspareoneanywhereonthesystem,except—well,thatwasanexceptionIwasn’tgoingtomentiontoMr.