Атлант расправил плечи
The Sign of the Dollar
Howelsecoulditbedone?Doyoucaretothinkwhatwouldhappenatsuchameeting?Ittookusjustonemeetingtodiscoverthatwehadbecomebeggars—rotten,whining,snivelingbeggars,allofus,becausenomancouldclaimhispayashisrightfulearning,hehadnorightsandnoearnings,hisworkdidn’tbelongtohim,itbelongedto‘thefamily,’andtheyowedhimnothinginreturn,andtheonlyclaimhehadonthemwashis‘need’—sohehadtobeginpublicforrelieffromhisneeds,likeanylousymoocher,listingallhistroublesandmiseries,downtohispatcheddrawersandhiswife’sheadcolds,hopingthat‘thefamily’wouldthrowhimthealms.Hehadtoclaimmiseries,becauseit’smiseries,notwork,thathadbecomethecoinoftherealm—soitturnedintoacontestamongsixthousandpanhandlers,eachclaimingthathisneedwasworsethanhisbrother’s.Howelsecoulditbedone?Doyoucaretoguesswhathappened,whatsortofmenkeptquiet,feelingshame,andwhatsortgotawaywiththejackpot?
"Butthatwasn’tall.Therewassomethingelsethatwediscoveredatthesamemeeting.Thefactory’sproductionhadfallenbyfortypercent,inthatfirsthalf-year,soitwasdecidedthatsomebodyhadn’tdelivered‘accordingtohisability’.Who?Howwouldyoutellit?‘Thefamily’votedonthat,too.Theyvotedwhichmenwerethebest,andthesemenweresentencedtoworkovertimeeachnightforthenextsixmonths.
