Атлант расправил плечи
The Sign of the Dollar
"
"Iknow."
"Thenwhyareyousoeagertohelpme?"
"Ijustwantyoutoseewhatit’sliketodosomethingyouwant,foronce."
"There’snotmuchchancethatthey’llhaveaplaneatthatfield."
"There’sagoodchancethattheywill."
Thereweretwoplanesontheedgeoftheairfield:one,thehalfcharredremnantofawreck,notworthsalvagingforscrap—theother,aDwightSandersmonoplane,brand-new,thekindofshipthatmenwerepleadingfor,invain,alloverthecountry.
Therewasonesleepyattendantattheairfield,young,pudgyand,butforafaintsmellofcollegeabouthisvocabulary,abrainbrotherofthenightdispatcherofBradshaw.Heknewnothingaboutthetwoplanes:theyhadbeentherewhenhefirsttookthisjobayearago.Hehadneverinquiredaboutthemandneitherhadanybodyelse.Inwhateversilentcrumblinghadgoneonatthedistantheadquarters,intheslowdissolutionofagreatairlinecompany,theSandersmonoplanehadbeenforgotten—asassetsofthisnaturewerebeingforgotteneverywhere...asthemodelofthemotorhadbeenforgottenonajunkpileand,leftinplainsight,hadconveyednothingtotheinheritorsandthetakers-over...
TherewerenorulestotelltheyoungattendantwhetherhewasexpectedtokeeptheSandersplaneornot.
