Атлант расправил плечи
Atlantis
Whateverpartoftheirwealththeycouldsalvage,theyconvertedintogoldormachines,asIhad,andtheybroughtithere.Therewereenoughofustodeveloptheplaceandtocreatejobsforthosewhohadhadtoearntheirlivingoutside.Wehavenowreachedthestagewheremostofuscanliveherefulltime.Thevalleyisalmostself-supporting—andastothegoodsthatwecan’tyetproduce,Ipurchasethemfromtheoutsidethroughapipelineofmyown.It’saspecialagent,amanwhodoesnotletmymoneyreachthelooters.Wearenotastatehere,notasocietyofanykind—we’rejustavoluntaryassociationofmenheldtogetherbynothingbuteveryman’sself-interest.IownthevalleyandIsellthelandtotheothers,whentheywantit.JudgeNarragansettistoactasourarbiter,incaseofdisagreements.Hehasn’thadtobecalledupon,asyet.Theysaythatit’shardformentoagree.You’dbesurprisedhoweasyitis—whenbothpartiesholdastheirmoralabsolutethatneitherexistsforthesakeoftheotherandthatreasonistheironlymeansoftrade.Thetimeisapproachingwhenallofuswillhavetobecalledtolivehere—becausetheworldisfallingapartsofastthatitwillsoonbestarving.
Butwewillbeabletosupportourselvesinthisvalley."
"Theworldiscrashingfasterthanweexpected,"saidHughAkston.
"Menarestoppingandgivingup.
