Атлант расправил плечи

           Inthenextinstantthewomanmovedherhead—andDagnyrealizedthattherewerepeopleatthetablesinsidethestructure,thatitwasacafeteria,thatthewomanstoodbehindthecounter,andthatshewasKayLudlow,themoviestarwho,onceseen,couldneverbeforgotten;thestarwhohadretiredandvanishedfiveyearsago,tobereplacedbygirlsofindistinguishablenamesandinterchangeablefaces.Butattheshockoftherealization,Dagnythoughtofthesortofmoviesthatwerenowbeingmade—andthenshefeltthattheglasscafeteriawasacleaneruseforKayLudlow’sbeautythanaroleinapictureglorifyingthecommonplaceforpossessingnoglory.

           Thebuildingthatcamenextwasasmall,squatblockofroughgranite,sturdy,solid,neatlybuilt,thelinesofitsrectangularbulkasseverelypreciseasthecreasesofaformalgarment—butshesaw,likeaninstant’sghost,thelongstreakofaskyscraperrisingintothecoilsofChicago’sfog,theskyscraperthathadoncebornethesignshenowsawwritteningoldlettersaboveamodestpine-wooddoor:MulliganBank.

           Galtslowedthecarwhilemovingpastthebank,asifplacingthemotioninsomespecialitalics.

           Asmallbrickstructurecamenext,bearingthesign:MulliganMint.

           "Amint?"sheasked."What’sMulligandoingwithamint?"Galtreachedintohispocketanddroppedtwosmallcoinsintothepalmofherhand.