Атлант расправил плечи
The Sign of the Dollar
Whenthegreenlightofasignalappearedbythetrack,itgavethemapointtoreachandpass,but—incongruousinthemidstofthefloatingdissolution—itbroughtthemnosenseofrelief.Itseemedtocomefromalongsinceextinguishedworld,likethosestarswhoselightremainsaftertheyaregone.Thegreencircleglowedinspace,announcingacleartrack,invitingmotionwheretherewasnothingtomove.Whowasthatphilosopher,shethought,whopreachedthatmotionexistswithoutanymovingentities?Thiswashisworld,too.
Shefoundherselfpushingforwardwithincreasingeffort,asifagainstsomeresistancethatwas,notpressure,butsuction.GlancingatKellogg,shesawthathe,too,waswalkinglikeamanbracedagainstastorm.Shefeltasifthetwoofthemwerethesolesurvivorsof...ofreality,shethought—twolonelyfiguresfighting,notthroughastorm,butworse:throughnon-existence.
ItwasKelloggwhoglancedback,afterawhile,andshefollowedhisglance:therewasnoheadlightbehindthem.
Theydidnotstop.Lookingstraightahead,hereachedabsentlyintohispocket;shefeltcertainthatthemovementwasinvoluntary;heproducedapackageofcigarettesandextendedittoher.
Shewasabouttotakeacigarette—then,suddenly,sheseizedhiswristandtorethepackageoutofhishand.Itwasaplainwhitepackagethatbore,assingleimprint,thesignofthedollar.
"Givemetheflashlight!"sheordered,stopping.
