Атлант расправил плечи
The Sign of the Dollar
"
"Left?Why?"
"Hewentwiththemanwhoflewinforhimtwo-threehoursago."
"Whatman?"
"Don’tknow,neversawhimbefore,but,boy!—he’sgotabeautyofaship!"
Shewasbackatthewheel,shewasspeedingdowntherunway,shewasrisingintotheair,herplanelikeabulletaimedattwosparksofredandgreenlightthatweretwinklingawayintotheeasternsky—whileshewasstillrepeating,"Ohno,theydon’t!Theydon’t!Theydon’t!
Theydon’t!"
Onceandforall—shethought,clutchingthewheelasifitweretheenemynottoberelinquished,herwordslikeseparateexplosionswithatrailoffireinhermindtolinkthem—onceandforall...tomeetthedestroyerfacetoface...tolearnwhoheisandwherehegoestovanish...notthemotor...heisnottocarrythemotorawayintothedarknessofhismonstrouslyclosedunknown...heisnottoescape,thistime...
Abandoflightwasrisingintheeastanditseemedtocomefromtheearth,asabreathlong-heldandreleased.Inthedeepblueaboveit,thestranger’splanewasasinglesparkchangingcolorandflashingfromsidetoside,likethetipofapendulumswinginginthedarkness,beatingtime.
Thecurveofdistancemadethesparkdropclosertotheearth,andshepushedherthrottlewideopen,nottoletthesparkoutofhersight,nottoletittouchthehorizonandvanish.
