Атлант расправил плечи

           "Iappreciateourchildhoodfriendship,Eddie,butdoyouthinkthatthatshouldentitleyoutowalkinhereunannouncedwheneveryouwish? Consideringyourownrank,shouldn’tyourememberthatIampresidentofTaggartTranscontinental?" 

           Thiswaswasted. EddieWillerslookedathimasusual,nothurt,merelypuzzled,andasked, "Thenyoudon’tintendtodoanythingabouttheRioNorteLine?" 

           "Ihaven’tsaidthat.Ihaven’tsaidthatatall." Taggartwaslookingatthemap,attheredstreaksouthofElPaso. "JustassoonastheSanSebastiánMinesgetgoingandourMexicanbranchbeginstopayoff—" 

           "Don’tlet’stalkaboutthat,Jim." 

           Taggartturned,startledbytheunprecedentedphenomenonofanimplacableangerinEddie’svoice. "What’sthematter?" 

           "Youknowwhat’sthematter.Yoursistersaid—" 

           "Damnmysister!"saidJamesTaggart. 

           EddieWillersdidnotmove. Hedidnotanswer. Hestoodlookingstraightahead.ButhedidnotseeJamesTaggartoranythingintheoffice. 

           Afteramoment,hebowedandwalkedout. 

           Intheanteroom,theclerksofJamesTaggart’spersonalstaffwereswitchingoffthelights,gettingreadytoleavefortheday. ButPopHarper,chiefclerk,stillsatathisdesk,twistingtheleversofahalf-dismemberedtypewriter. EverybodyinthecompanyhadtheimpressionthatPopHarperwasborninthatparticularcorneratthatparticulardeskandneverintendedtoleaveit. HehadbeenchiefclerkforJamesTaggart’sfather.