Атлант расправил плечи
The Utopia of Greed
TheyhuddledaroundmewhileIcalledthecityroomsofnewspapersinDenverandNewYork.Wedidn’tlearnmuch.
OnlythatyouhadlefttheAftonairfieldjustbeforedawnonMaythirty-first,thatyouseemedtobefollowingsomestranger’splane,thattheattendanthadseenyougooffsoutheast—andthatnobodyhadseenyousince...AndthatsearchingpartieswerecombingtheRockiesforthewreckageofyourplane."
Sheaskedinvoluntarily,"DidtheCometreachSanFrancisco?"
"Idon’tknow.ShewascrawlingnorththroughArizona,whenIgaveup.Thereweretoomanydelays,toomanythingsgoingwrong,andatotalconfusionoforders.IgotoffandspentthenighthitchhikingmywaytoColorado,bummingridesontrucks,onbuggies,onhorsecarts,togetthereontime—togettoourmeetingplace,Imean,wherewegatherforMidas’ferryplanetopickusupandbringushere."
ShestartedwalkingslowlyupthepathtowardthecarshehadleftinfrontofHammond’sGroceryMarket.Kelloggfollowed,andwhenhespokeagain,hisvoicedroppedalittle,slowingdownwiththeirsteps,asifthereweresomethingtheybothwishedtodelay.
"IgotajobforJeffAlien,"hesaid;hisvoicehadthepeculiarlysolemntoneproperforsaying:Ihavecarriedoutyourlastwill."YouragentatLaurelgrabbedhimandputhimtoworkthemomentwegotthere.Theagentneededeveryable-bodied—no,able-minded—manhecouldfind.
