Атлант расправил плечи
The Theme
"ImagineathingcalledthePhoenix-DurangocompetingwithTaggartTranscontinental!Itwasnothingbutalocalmilklinetenyearsago."
"It’sgotmostofthefreighttrafficofArizona,NewMexicoandColoradonow." Taggartdidnotanswer. "Jim,wecan’tloseColorado.It’sourlasthope. It’severybody’slasthope. Ifwedon’tpullourselvestogether,we’llloseeverybigshipperinthestatetothePhoenix-Durango.We’velosttheWyattoilfields."
"Idon’tseewhyeverybodykeepstalkingabouttheWyattoilfields."
"BecauseEllisWyattisaprodigywho—"
"DamnEllisWyatt!"
Thoseoilwells,Eddiethoughtsuddenly,didn’ttheyhavesomethingincommonwiththebloodvesselsonthemap? Wasn’tthatthewaytheredstreamofTaggartTranscontinentalhadshotacrossthecountry,yearsago,afeatthatseemedincrediblenow?HethoughtoftheoilwellsspoutingablackstreamthatranoveracontinentalmostfasterthanthetrainsofthePhoenix-Durangocouldcarryit. ThatoilfieldhadbeenonlyarockypatchinthemountainsofColorado,givenupasexhaustedlongago. EllisWyatt’sfatherhadmanagedtosqueezeanobscurelivingtotheendofhisdays,outofthedyingoilwells. Nowitwasasifsomebodyhadgivenashotofadrenalintotheheartofthemountain,thehearthadstartedpumping,theblackbloodhadburstthroughtherocks—ofcourseit’sblood,thoughtEddieWillers,becausebloodissupposedtofeed,togivelife,andthatiswhatWyattOilhaddone.
