Атлант расправил плечи
The Sign of the Dollar
anddiveoffthisplanet,shethought.ShenoticedthatKellogg,too,stoodlookingbackattheheadlight.
Theyglancedateachother,butsaidnothing.Thecrunchofapebbleunderhershoesoleburstlikeafirecrackerinthesilence.
Withacoldlyintentionalmovement,hekickedthetelephoneinstrumentandsentitrollingintoaditch:theviolenceofthenoiseshatteredthevacuum.
"Goddamnhim,"hesaidevenly,notraisinghisvoice,withaloathingpastanydisplayofemotion."Heprobablydidn’tfeellikeattendingtohisjob,andsinceheneededhispaycheck,nobodyhadtherighttoaskthathekeepthephonesinorder."
"Comeon,"shesaid.
"Wecanrest,ifyoufeeltired,MissTaggart."
"I’mallright.Wehavenotimetofeeltired."
"That’sourgreaterror,MissTaggart.Weoughttotakethetime,someday."
Shegaveabriefchuckle,shesteppedontoatieofthetrack,stressingthestepasheranswer,andtheywenton.
Itwashard,walkingonties,butwhentheytriedtowalkalongthetrackside,theyfoundthatitwasharder.Thesoil,half-sand,half-dust,sankundertheirheels,likethesoft,unresistingspreadofsomesubstancethatwasneitherliquidnorsolid.Theywentbacktowalkingfromtietotie;itwasalmostlikesteppingfromlogtologinthemidstofariver.
