Атлант расправил плечи

           "

           "Whydoyoukeepthatscreen?"

           "Becausethisplaceisprivatepropertyintendedtoremainassuch."

           "Whatisthisplace?"

           "I’llshowittoyou,nowthatyou’rehere,MissTaggart.I’llanswerquestionsafteryou’veseenit."

           Sheremainedsilent.Shenoticedthatshehadaskedquestionsabouteverysubject,butnotabouthim.Itwasasifhewereasinglewhole,graspedbyherfirstglanceathim,likesomeirreducibleabsolute,likeanaxiomnottobeexplainedanyfurther,asifshekneweverythingabouthimbydirectperception,andwhatawaitedhernowwasonlytheprocessofidentifyingherknowledge.

           Hewascarryingherdownanarrowtrailthatwentwindingtothebottomofthevalley.Ontheslopesaroundthem,thetall,darkpyramidsoffirsstoodimmovablystraight,inmasculinesimplicity,likesculpturereducedtoanessentialform,andtheyclashedwiththecomplex,feminine,overdetailedlace-workofthebirchleavestremblinginthesun.

           Theleavesletthesunraysfallthroughtosweepacrosshishair,acrossboththeirfaces.Shecouldnotseewhatlaybelow,beyondtheturnsofthetrail.

           Hereyeskeptcomingbacktohisface.Heglanceddownatheronceinawhile.Atfirst,shelookedaway,asifshehadbeencaught.