Атлант расправил плечи
The Face without Pain or Fear or Guilt
HervoicehadthesavagesoundofrisingtodeliverablowanditwascryingtoRearden:"—toprotectmefromhim?Longbeforeyouever—"
"Don’t!"Francisco’sheadjerkedtoher,thebriefsnapofhisvoiceheldallofhisunreleasedviolence,andsheknewitwasanorderthathadtobeobeyed.
Motionlessbutfortheslowcurveofhishead,FranciscoturnedtoRearden.Shesawhishandsleavetheedgeofthetableandhangrelaxedbyhissides.ItwasReardenthathewasnowseeing,andtherewasnothinginFrancisco’sfaceexcepttheexhaustionofeffort,butReardenknewsuddenlyhowmuchthismanhadlovedhim.
"Withintheextentofyourknowledge,"Franciscosaidquietly,"youareright."
Neitherexpectingnorpermittingananswer,heturnedtoleave.HebowedtoDagny,inclininghisheadinamannerthatappearedasasimplegestureofleave-takingtoRearden,asagestureofacceptancetoher.Thenheleft.
Reardenstoodlookingafterhim,knowing—withoutcontextandwithabsolutecertainty—thathewouldgivehislifeforthepowernottohavecommittedtheactionhehadcommitted.
WhenheturnedtoDagny,hisfacelookeddrained,openandfaintlyattentive,asifhewerenotquestioningheraboutthewordsshehadcutoff,butwerewaitingforthemtocome.
