Атлант расправил плечи

           Therewasabirchtreeonthehillside,halfwaybetweentheroadandthehouse;DagnyandEddietriedtogetpastthetree,beforeFranciscocouldraceupthehilltomeetthem.Onallthemanydaysofhisarrivals,inallthemanysummers,theyneverreachedthebirchtree;Franciscoreacheditfirstandstoppedthemwhenhewaswaypastit.Franciscoalwayswon,ashealwayswoneverything.

           HisparentswereoldfriendsoftheTaggartfamily.Hewasanonlysonandhewasbeingbroughtupallovertheworld;hisfather,itwassaid,wantedhimtoconsidertheworldashisfuturedomain.DagnyandEddiecouldneverbecertainofwherehewouldspendhiswinter;butonceayear,everysummer,asternSouthAmericantutorbroughthimforamonthtotheTaggartestate.

           FranciscofounditnaturalthattheTaggartchildrenshouldbechosenashiscompanions:theywerethecrownheirsofTaggartTranscontinental,ashewasofd‘AnconiaCopper."Wearetheonlyaristocracyleftintheworld—thearistocracyofmoney,"hesaidtoDagnyonce,whenhewasfourteen."It’stheonlyrealaristocracy,ifpeopleunderstoodwhatitmeans,whichtheydon’t."

           Hehadacastesystemofhisown:tohim,theTaggartchildrenwerenotJimandDagny,butDagnyandEddie.HeseldomvolunteeredtonoticeJim’sexistence.Eddieaskedhimonce,"Francisco,you’resomekindofveryhighnobility,aren’tyou?"Heanswered,"Notyet.Thereasonmyfamilyhaslastedforsuchalongtimeisthatnoneofushaseverbeenpermittedtothinkheisbornad‘Anconia.