Атлант расправил плечи

           Therewerenosuperfluousobjects,butshenoticedasmallcanvasbyagreatmasteroftheRenaissance,worthafortune,shenoticedanOrientalrugofatextureandcolorthatbelongedunderglassinamuseum.ThiswasMulligan’sconceptofwealth,shethought—thewealthofselection,notofaccumulation.

           QuentinDanielssatonthefloor,withhistrayonhislap;heseemedcompletelyathome,andheglancedupatheronceinawhile,grinninglikeanimpudentkidbrotherwhohadbeatenhertoasecretshehadnotdiscovered.Hehadprecededherintothevalleybysometenminutes,shethought,buthewasoneofthem,whileshewasstillastranger.

           Galtsataside,beyondthecircleoflamplight,onthearmofDr.Akston’schair.Hehadnotsaidaword,hehadsteppedbackandturnedherovertotheothers,andhesatwatchingitasaspectacleinwhichhehadnofurtherparttoplay.Buthereyeskeptcomingbacktohim,drawnbythecertaintythatthespectaclewasofhischoiceandstaging,thathehadsetitinmotionlongago,andthatalltheothersknewitassheknewit.

           ShenoticedanotherpersonwhowasintenselyawareofGalt’spresence:HughAkstonglancedupathimonceinawhile,involuntarily,almostsurreptitiously,asifstrugglingnottoconfessthelonelinessofalongseparation.Akstondidnotspeaktohim,asiftakinghispresenceforgranted.