Атлант расправил плечи
The Utopia of Greed
Youbrokeourrules,soyou’llhavetotaketheconsequences.Nobodyleavesthevalleyduringthismonth.Icouldletyougo,ofcourse,butIwon’t.
There’snoruledemandingthatIholdyou,butbyforcingyourwayhere,you’vegivenmetherighttoanychoiceImake—andI’mgoingtoholdyousimplybecauseIwantyouhere.If,attheendofamonth,youdecidethatyouwishtogoback,youwillbefreetodoso.Notuntilthen."
Shesatstraight,theplanesofherfacerelaxed,theshapeofhermouthsoftenedbythefaint,purposefulsuggestionofasmile;itwasthedangeroussmileofanadversary,buthereyeswerecoldlybrilliantandveiledatonce,liketheeyesofanadversarywhofullyintendstofight,buthopestolose.
"Verywell,"shesaid,"Ishallchargeyouforyourroomandboard—itisagainstourrulestoprovidetheunearnedsustenanceofanotherhumanbeing.Someofushavewivesandchildren,butthereisamutualtradeinvolvedinthat,andamutualpayment"—heglancedather—"ofakindIamnotentitledtocollect.SoIshallchargeyoufiftycentsadayandyouwillpaymewhenyouaccepttheaccountthatliesinyournameattheMulliganBank.Ifyoudon’taccepttheaccount,MulliganwillchargeyourdebtagainstitandhewillgivemethemoneywhenIaskforit."
"Ishallcomplywithyourterms,"sheanswered;hervoicehadtheshrewd,confident,deliberatingslownessofatrader.
