Атлант расправил плечи

           Hesatslouchedcasuallyonthearmofachair,leaningforward,hisforearmacrosshisknees,hishandhangingdownidly—anditwasthefaintsmileonhisfacethatgavetohiswordsthedeadlysoundoftheirrevocable:"Whyshouldthisseemsostartling?Thereisonlyonekindofmenwhohaveneverbeenonstrikeinhumanhistory.Everyotherkindandclasshavestopped,whentheysowished,andhavepresenteddemandstotheworld,claimingtobeindispensable—exceptthemenwhohavecarriedtheworldontheirshoulders,havekeptitalive,haveenduredtortureassolepayment,buthaveneverwalkedoutonthehumanrace.

           Well,theirturnhascome.Lettheworlddiscoverwhotheyare,whattheydoandwhathappenswhentheyrefusetofunction.Thisisthestrikeofthemenofthemind,MissTaggart.Thisisthemindonstrike."

           Shedidnotmove,exceptforthefingersofonehandthatmovedslowlyuphercheektohertemple.

           "Throughalltheages,"hesaid,"themindhasbeenregardedasevil,andeveryformofinsult:fromheretictomaterialisttoexploiter—everyformofiniquity:fromexiletodisfranchisementtoexpropriation—everyformoftorture:fromsneerstoracktofiringsquad—havebeenbroughtdownuponthosewhoassumedtheresponsibilityoflookingattheworldthroughtheeyesofalivingconsciousnessandperformingthecrucialactofarationalconnection.