Атлант расправил плечи
The Sign of the Dollar
Timeswerebadthen,butitwassincethenthatthingsstartedgoingtopieceseverywherefasterandfaster.Sincethen,itseemslikeanywhereIturned—theplacecrackedandwent.Atfirst,wethoughtitwasonlyonestateoranother.AlotofusthoughtthatColoradowouldlast.Butitwent,too.
Anythingyoutried,anythingyoutouched—itfell.Anywhereyoulooked,workwasstopping—thefactorieswerestopping—themachineswerestopping—"headdedslowly,inawhisper,asifseeingsomesecretterrorofhisown,"themotors...were...stopping."Hisvoicerose:"OhGod,whois—"andbrokeoff.
"—JohnGalt?"sheasked.
"Yes,"hesaid,andshookhisheadasiftodispelsomevision,"onlyIdon’tliketosaythat."
"Idon’t,either.IwishIknewwhypeoplearesayingitandwhostartedit."
"That’sit,ma’am.That’swhatI’mafraidof.Itmighthavebeenmewhostartedit."
"What?"
"Meoraboutsixthousandothers.Wemighthave.Ithinkwedid.
Ihopewe’rewrong."
"Whatdoyoumean?"
"Well,therewassomethingthathappenedatthatplantwhereIworkedfortwentyyears.Itwaswhentheoldmandiedandhisheirstookover.Therewerethreeofthem,twosonsandadaughter,andtheybroughtanewplantorunthefactory.Theyletusvoteonit,too,andeverybody—almosteverybody—votedforit.
