Атлант расправил плечи
The Moratorium on Brains
Mancanneverbefreeofhunger,ofcold,ofdisease,ofphysicalaccidents.
Hecanneverbefreeofthetyrannyofnature.Sowhyshouldheobjecttothetyrannyofapoliticaldictatorship?"
WhenallofEuropeputintopracticetheideaswhichhehadpreached,hecametoliveinAmerica.Throughtheyears,hisstyleofwritingandhisbodyhadgrownflabby.Atseventy,hewasanobeseoldmanwithretouchedhairandamannerofscornfulcynicismretouchedbyquotationsfromtheyogisaboutthefutilityofallhumanendeavor.KipChalmershadinvitedhim,becauseitseemedtolookdistinguished.GilbertKeithWorthinghadcomealong,becausehehadnoparticularplacetogo.
"Goddamntheserailroadpeople!"saidKipChalmers."They’redoingitonpurpose.Theywanttoruinmycampaign.Ican’tmissthatrally!ForChrist’ssake,Lester,dosomething!"
"I’vetried,"saidLesterTuck.Atthetrain’slaststop,hehadtried,bylong-distancetelephone,tofindairtransportationtocompletetheirjourney;buttherewerenocommercialflightsscheduledforthenexttwodays.
"Iftheydon’tgetmethereontime,I’llhavetheirscalpsandtheirrailroad!Can’twetellthatdamnconductortohurry?"
"You’vetoldhimthreetimes."
"I’llgethimfired.He’sgivenmenothingbutalotofalibisaboutalltheirmessytechnicaltroubles.Iexpecttransportation,notalibis.
