Атлант расправил плечи

           Stadlerhadcriedforsomething,nottolookdownat,butupto,andthishadbeenthecry,thelongingandthefuelofherlife—ifshehadmoved,drawnbythehungerofheryouthforasightofclean,hard,radiantcompetence—thenhereitwasbeforeher,reachedanddone,thepowerofanincomparablemindgivenshapeinanetofwiressparklingpeacefullyunderasummersky,drawinganincalculablepoweroutofspaceintothesecretinteriorofasmallstonehovel.

           Shethoughtofthisstructure,halfthesizeofaboxcar,replacingthepowerplantsofthecountry,theenormousconglomerationsofsteel,fuelandeffort—shethoughtofthecurrentflowingfromthisstructure,liftingounces,pounds,tonsofstrainfromtheshouldersofthosewhowouldmakeitoruseit,addinghours,daysandyearsofliberatedtimetotheirlives,beitanextramomenttoliftone’sheadfromone’staskandglanceatthesunlight,oranextrapackofcigarettesboughtwiththemoneysavedfromone’selectricbill,oranhourcutfromtheworkdayofeveryfactoryusingpower,oramonth’sjourneythroughthewhole,openwidthoftheworld,onaticketpaidforbyonedayofone’slabor,onatrainpulledbythepowerofthismotor—withalltheenergyofthatweight,thatstrain,thattimereplacedandpaidforbytheenergyofasinglemindwhohadknownhowtomakeconnectionsofwirefollowtheconnectionsofhisthought.