Атлант расправил плечи
The Moratorium on Brains
Buthewasaplacid,amicablefellow,whomadeagoodfiremanwithnohopeofeverrisingtoengineer;hishuskymuscleswerehisonlyasset.
Hefeltcertainthathissuperiorsknewwhattheyweredoing,sohedidnotventureanyquestions.
TheconductorstoodbytherearendoftheComet.Helookedatthelightsofthetunnel,thenatthelongchainoftheComet’swindows.Afewwindowswerelighted,butmostofthemshowedonlythefeebleblueglowofnightlampsedgingtheloweredblinds.Hethoughtthatheshouldrousethepassengersandwarnthem.Therehadbeenatimewhenhehadplacedthesafetyofthepassengersabovehisown,notbyreasonofloveforhisfellowmen,butbecausethatresponsibilitywaspartofhisjob,whichheacceptedandfeltprideinfulfilling.Now,hefeltacontemptuousindifferenceandnodesiretosavethem.TheyhadaskedforandacceptedDirective10-289,hethought,theywentonlivinganddailyturningawayinevasionfromthekindofverdictsthattheUnificationBoardwaspassingondefenselessvictims—whyshouldn’thenowturnawayfromthem?Ifhesavedtheirlives,notoneofthemwouldcomeforwardtodefendhimwhentheUnificationBoardwouldconvicthimfordisobeyingorders,forcreatingapanic,fordelayingMr.Chalmers.Hehadnodesiretobeamartyrforthesakeofallowingpeoplesafelytoindulgeintheirownirresponsibleevil.
Whenthemomentcame,heraisedhislanternandsignaledtheengineertostart.
