Атлант расправил плечи
The Moratorium on Brains
"
"Butyoucan’tquit!"criedthestationagent,"They’llarrestyouforit!"
"Iftheyfindme,"saidtheengineer,andwalkedoutofthestationintothevastdarknessofthemountainnight.
TheengineerfromSilverSprings,whohadbroughtinNumber306,wassittinginacorneroftheroom.Hechuckledandsaid,"He’syellow."
Thestationagentturnedtohim."Willyoudoit,Joe?WillyoutaketheComet?"
JoeScottwasdrunk.Therehadbeenatimewhenarailroadman,reportingfordutywithanysignofintoxication,wouldhavebeenregardedasadoctorarrivingforworkwithsoresofsmallpoxonhisface.
ButJoeScottwasaprivilegedperson.Threemonthsago,hehadbeenfiredforaninfractionofsafetyrules,whichhadcausedamajorwreck;twoweeksago,hehadbeenreinstatedinhisjobbyorderoftheUnificationBoard.HewasafriendofFredKinnan;heprotectedKinnan’sinterestsinhisunion,notagainsttheemployers,butagainstthemembership.
"Sure,"saidJoeScott."I’lltaketheComet.I’llgetherthrough,ifIgofastenough."
ThefiremanofNumber306hadremainedinthecabofhisengine.
Helookedupuneasily,whentheycametoswitchhisenginetotheheadendoftheComet;helookedupattheredandgreenlightsofthetunnel,hanginginthedistanceabovetwentymilesofcurves.
