Атлант расправил плечи
The Moratorium on Brains
BrentknewthattomorrowmorningtheissuewouldbehiswordagainstMitchum’s;Mitchumwoulddenyhavinggiventheorder;MitchumwouldshowwrittenproofthatEngineNumber306hadbeensenttoWinstononly"tostandby,"andwouldproducewitnessesthathehadgonetoFairmountinsearchofaDiesel;MitchumwouldclaimthatthefatalorderhadbeenissuedbyandonthesoleresponsibilityofBillBrent,thechiefdispatcher,itwouldnotbemuchofacase,notacasethatcouldbearclosestudy,butitwouldbeenoughfortheUnificationBoard,whosepolicywasconsistentonlyinnotpermittinganythingtobestudiedclosely.Brentknewthathecouldplaythesamegameandpasstheframe-upontoanothervictim,heknewthathehadthebrainstoworkitout—exceptthathewouldratherbedeadthandoit.
ItwasnotthesightofMitchumthatmadehimsitstillinhorror.
Itwastherealizationthattherewasnoonewhomhecouldcalltoexposethisthingandstopit—nosuperioranywhereontheline,fromColoradotoOmahatoNewYork.Theywereinonit,allofthem,theyweredoingthesame,theyhadgivenMitchumtheleadandthemethod.ItwasDaveMitchumwhonowbelongedonthisrailroadandhe,BillBrent,whodidnot.
AsBillBrenthadlearnedtosee,byasingleglanceatafewnumbersonasheetofpaper,theentiretrackageofadivision—sohewasnowabletoseethewholeofhisownlifeandthefullpriceofthedecisionhewasmaking.
