Атлант расправил плечи
Anti-Green
Therewasstillanelementofwonderinthenumbedindifferenceofhermind:Jimhadalwaysmanagedtoswitchtheweightofhisfailuresuponthestrongestplantsaroundhimandtosurvivebydestroyingthemtopayforhiserrors,ashehaddonewithDanConway,ashehaddonewiththeindustriesofColorado;butthisdidnothaveeventherationalityofalooter—thispouncinguponthedrainedcarcassofaweaker,ahalfbankruptcompetitorforamoment’sdelay,withnothingbutacrackingbonebetweenthepouncerandtheabyss.
Theimpulseofthehabitofreasonalmostpushedhertospeak,toargue,todemonstratetheself-evident—butshelookedattheirfacesandshesawthattheyknewit.Insometermsdifferentfromhers,insomeinconceivablemannerofconsciousness,theyknewallthatshecouldtellthem,itwasuselesstoprovetothemtheirrationalhorroroftheircourseandofitsconsequences,bothMeigsandTaggartknewit—andthesecretoftheirconsciousnesswasthemeansbywhichtheyescapedthefinalityoftheirknowledge."Isee,"shesaidquietly.
"Well,whatwouldyouratherhavehadmedo?"screamedTaggart."Giveupourtranscontinentaltraffic?Gobankrupt?TurntherailroadintoamiserableEastCoastlocal?"Hertwowordsseemedtohavehithimworsethananyindignantobjection;heseemedtobeshakingwithterroratthatwhichthequiet"Isee"hadacknowledgedseeing.
