Атлант расправил плечи
By our love
Shewentstraighttothedoorofheroffice;passingthedeskofhersecretary,shesaid,hervoicelikethesoundofabusinessmachine,neitherrudenorgentle,"AskEddietocomein."
JamesTaggartwasthefirstonetomove,asifdreadingtoletheroutofhissight.Herushedinafterher,hecried,"Icouldn’thelpit!"andthen,lifereturningtohim,hisown,hisnormalkindoflife,hescreamed,"Itwasyourfault!Youdidit!You’retoblameforit!Becauseyouleft!"
Hewonderedwhetherhisscreamhadbeenanillusioninsidehisownears.Herfaceremainedblank;yetshehadturnedtohim;shelookedasifsoundshadreachedher,butnotwords,notthecommunicationofamind.Whathefeltforamomentwashisclosestapproachtoasenseofhisownnon-existence.
Thenhesawthefaintestchangeinherface,merelytheindicationofperceivingahumanpresence,butshewaslookingpasthimandheturnedandsawthatEddieWillershadenteredtheoffice.
ThereweretracesoftearsinEddie’seyes,buthemadenoattempttohidethem,hestoodstraight,asifthetearsoranyembarrassmentoranyapologyforthemwereasirrelevanttohimastoher.
Shesaid,"GetRyanonthetelephone,tellhimI’mhere,thenletmespeaktohim."Ryanhadbeenthegeneralmanageroftherailroad’sCentralRegion.
Eddiegaveherawarningbynotansweringatonce,thensaid,hisvoiceasevenashers,"Ryan’sgone,Dagny.
