Атлант расправил плечи
The Utopia of Greed
Letmeexplainittoyou."
Shelistened.Sheheardasparklingvoicereciting,inthetoneofadrylymeticulousbookkeeper,areportaboutfinancialtransfers,bankaccounts,income-taxreturns,asifhewerereadingthedustypagesofaledger—aledgerwhereeveryentrywasmadebymeansofofferinghisownbloodasthecollateraltobedrainedatanymoment,atanyslipofhisbookkeepingpen.Asshelistened,shekeptseeingtheperfectionofhisface—andshekeptthinkingthatthiswastheheadonwhichtheworldhadplacedapriceofmillionsforthepurposeofdeliveringittotherotofdeath...Thefaceshehadthoughttoobeautifulforthescarsofaproductivecareer—shekeptthinkingnumbly,missinghalfhiswords—thefacetoobeautifultorisk...Thenitstruckherthathisphysicalperfectionwasonlyasimpleillustration,achildishlessongiventoherincrudelyobvioustermsonthenatureoftheouterworldandonthefateofanyhumanvalueinasubhumanage.Whateverthejusticeortheevilofhiscourse,shethought,howcouldthey...no!shethought,hiscoursewasjust,andthiswasthehorrorofit,thattherewasnoothercourseforjusticetoselect,thatshecouldnotcondemnhim,thatshecouldneitherapprovenorutterawordofreproach.
"...andthenamesofmycustomers,MissTaggart,werechosenslowly,onebyone.Ihadtobecertainofthenatureoftheircharacterandcareer.Onmylistofrestitution,yournamewasoneofthefirst.
