Атлант расправил плечи
By our love
Hefeltasifhisenemywerethispieceofpaper,notthewordsonit,butthesheetandtheinkthathadgiventhewordsamaterialfinality.Hehadalwaysregardedthoughtsandwordsasinconclusive,butamaterialshapewasthatwhichhehadspenthislifeescaping:acommitment.
Hehadnotdecidedtoresign—notreally,hethought;hehaddictatedtheletterforamotivewhichheidentifiedtohimselfonlyas"justincase."Theletter,hefelt,wasaformofprotection;buthehadnotsignedityet,andthatwashisprotectionagainsttheprotection.Thehatredwasdirectedatwhateverhadbroughthimtofeelthathewouldnotbeabletocontinueextendingthisprocessmuchlonger.
Hehadreceivedwordofthecatastropheateighto’clockthismorning;bynoon,hehadarrivedathisoffice.Aninstinctthatcamefromreasonswhichheknew,butspenthiswholeeffortonnotknowing,hadtoldhimthathehadtobethere,thistime.
Themenwhohadbeenhismarkedcards—inagameheknewhowtoplay—weregone.CliftonLoceywasbarricadedbehindthestatementofadoctorwhohadannouncedthatMr.Loceywassufferingfromaheartconditionwhichmadeitimpossibletodisturbhimatpresent.OneofTaggart’sexecutiveassistantswassaidtohaveleftforBostonlastnight,andtheotherwassaidtohavebeencalledunexpectedlytoanunnamedhospital,tothebedsideofafathernobodyhadeversuspectedhimofhaving.Therewasnoansweratthehomeofthechiefengineer.
