Атлант расправил плечи
The Sign of the Dollar
Heraltimeterhadstoodat11,000feetthelasttimesherememberedseeingit.Nowitstoodat10,000.Butthefloorofthevalleyhadnotchanged.Ithadcomenocloser.Itremainedasdistantasatherfirstglancedown.
Sheknewthatthefigure8,000meantthelevelofthegroundinthispartofColorado.Shehadnotnoticedthelengthofherdescent.
Shehadnotnoticedthattheground,whichhadseemedtooclearandtooclosefromtheheight,wasnowtoodimandtoofar.Shewaslookingatthesamerocksfromthesameperspective,theyhadgrownnolarger,theirshadowshadnotmoved,andtheoddlyunnaturallightstillhungoverthebottomofthevalley.
Shethoughtthatheraltimeterwasoff,andshewentoncirclingdownward.Shesawtheneedleofherdialmovingdown,shesawthewallsofgranitemovingup,shesawtheringofmountainsgrowinghigher,itspeakscomingclosertogetherinthesky—butthefloorofthevalleyremainedunchanged,asifsheweredroppingdownawellwithabottomnevertobereached.Theneedlemovedto9,500—to9,300—to9,000—to8,700.
Theflashoflightthathitherhadnosource.Itwasasiftheairwithinandbeyondtheplanebecameanexplosionofblindingcoldfire,suddenandsoundless.Theshockthrewherback,herhandsoffthewheelandoverhereyes.
