Атлант расправил плечи

           Shebelievesthatwhenonedealswithwords,onedealswiththemind."

           Thecarturnedintoanarrowpath,climbingsteeplyintoawildernessofbrushandpinetrees.Sheknewwhattoexpectwhenshesawahandmadesignnailedtoatree,withanarrowpointingtheway:TheBuenaEsperanzaPass.

           Itwasnotapass,itwasawalloflaminatedrockwithacomplexchainofpipes,pumpsandvalvesclimbinglikeavineupitsnarrowledges,butitbore,onitscrest,ahugewoodensign—andtheproudviolenceofthelettersannouncingtheirmessagetoanimpassabletangleoffernsandpinebranches,wasmorecharacteristic,morefamiliarthanthewords:WyattOil.

           Itwasoilthatraninaglitteringcurvefromthemouthofapipeintoatankatthefootofthewall,astheonlyconfessionofthetremendoussecretstruggleinsidethestone,astheunobtrusivepurposeofalltheintricatemachinery—butthemachinerydidnotresembletheinstallationsofanoilderrick,andsheknewthatshewaslookingattheunbornsecretoftheBuenaEsperanzaPass,sheknewthatthiswasoildrawnoutofshalebysomemethodmenhadconsideredimpossible.

           EllisWyattstoodonaridge,watchingtheglassdialofagaugeembeddedintherock.Hesawthecarstoppingbelow,andcalled,"Hi,Dagny!Bewithyouinaminute!"

           Thereweretwoothermenworkingwithhim:abig,muscularroughneck,atapumphalfwayupthewall,andayoungboy,bythetankontheground.