Атлант расправил плечи
The Utopia of Greed
Doyouseehowmuchisopentoushere,onanunobstructedearth?DoyouseehowmuchIamfreetodo,toexperience,toachieve?Doyouseethatallofitispartofwhatyouaretome—asIampartofitforyou?AndifI’llseeyousmilewithadmirationatanewcoppersmelterthatIbuilt,itwillbeanotherformofwhatIfeltwhenIlayinbedbesideyou.WillIwanttosleepwithyou?Desperately.WillIenvythemanwhodoes?Sure.Butwhatdoesthatmatter?It’ssomuch—justtohaveyouhere,toloveyouandtobealive."
Hereyeslowered,herfacestern,holdingherheadbowedasinanactofreverence,shesaidslowly,asiffulfillingasolemnpromise,"Willyouforgiveme?"
Helookedastonished,thenchuckledgaily,remembering,andanswered,"Notyet.There’snothingtoforgive,butI’llforgiveitwhenyoujoinus."
Herose,hedrewhertoherfeet—andwhenhisarmsclosedabouther,theirkisswasthesummationoftheirpast,itsendandtheirsealofacceptance.
Galtturnedtothemfromacrossthelivingroom,whentheycameout.Hehadbeenstandingatawindow,lookingatthevalley—andshefeltcertainthathehadstoodthereallthattime.Shesawhiseyesstudyingtheirfaces,hisglancemovingslowlyfromonetotheother.
HisfacerelaxedalittleatthesightofthechangeinFrancisco’s.
