Атлант расправил плечи
By our love
"Goahead,"shesaid."Youmaylistmeasyourexclusiveproperty,usemeasaspecialitemofpull,andtrademealloverWashington.ButIdon’tknowwhatgoodthatwilldoyou,becauseI’mnotgoingtoplaythegame,I’mnotgoingtotradefavors,I’msimplygoingtostartbreakingyourlawsrightnow—andyoucanarrestmewhenyoufeelthatyoucanaffordto."
"Ibelievethatyouhaveanold-fashionedideaaboutlaw,MissTaggart.Whyspeakofrigid,unbreakablelaws?Ourmodernlawsareelasticandopentointerpretationaccordingto...circumstances."
"Thenstartbeingelasticrightnow,becauseI’mnotandneitherarerailroadcatastrophes."
Shehungup,andsaidtoEddie,inthetoneofanestimatepassedonphysicalobjects,"They’llleaveusaloneforawhile."
Shedidnotseemtonoticethechangesinheroffice:theabsenceofNatTaggart’sportrait,thenewglasscoffeetablewhereMr.Loceyhadspread,forthebenefitofvisitors,adisplayoftheloudesthumanitarianmagazineswithtitlesofarticlesheadlinedontheircovers.
Sheheard—withtheattentivelookofamachineequippedtorecord,nottoreact—Eddie’saccountofwhatonemonthhaddonetotherailroad.Sheheardhisreportonwhatheguessedaboutthecausesofthecatastrophe.Shefaced,withthesamelookofdetachment,asuccessionofmenwhowentinandoutofherofficewithoverhurriedstepsandhandsfumblinginsuperfluousgestures.
