Атлант расправил плечи

           "

           "Whatdoyoumean?"

           "Doyourememberthatoldslogan:‘Thekingisdead,longlivetheking’?Whenthecarcassofmyancestors’propertyisoutoftheway,thenmyminewillbecometheyoungnewbodyofd’AnconiaCopper,thekindofpropertymyancestorshadwanted,hadworkedfor,haddeserved,buthadneverowned."

           "Yourmine?Whatmine?Where?"

           "Here,"hesaid,pointingtowardthemountainpeaks."Didn’tyouknowit?"

           "No."

           "Iownacopperminethatthelooterswon’treach.It’shere,inthesemountains.Ididtheprospecting,Idiscoveredit,Ibrokethefirstexcavation.Itwasovereightyearsago.IwasthefirstmantowhomMidassoldlandinthisvalley.Iboughtthatmine.Istarteditwithmyownhands,asSebastiand’Anconiahadstarted.Ihaveasuperintendentinchargeofitnow,whousedtobemybestmetallurgistinChile.

           Themineproducesallthecopperwerequire.MyprofitsaredepositedattheMulliganBank.ThatwillbeallI’llhave,afewmonthsfromnow.ThatwillbeallI’llneed."—toconquertheworld,wasthewayhisvoicesoundedonhislastsentence—andshemarveledatthedifferencebetweenthatsoundandtheshameful,mawkishtone,half-whine,half-threat,thetoneofbeggarandthugcombined,whichthemenoftheircenturyhadgiventotheword"need.