Атлант расправил плечи
Anti-Green
"
"Butwecan’trefusethem!Don’tyouseethatthey’vegotushogtied?
Thatthey’reholdingusbythethroat?Don’tyouknowwhattheycandotousthroughthisRailroadPool,orthroughtheUnificationBoard,orthroughthemoratoriumonourbonds?"
"Iknewthattwoyearsago."
Hewasshaking;therewassomeformless,desperate,almostsuperstitiousqualityinhisterror,outofproportiontothedangershenamed.
Shefeltsuddenlycertainthatitcamefromsomethingdeeperthanhisfearofbureaucraticreprisal,thatthereprisalwastheonlyidentificationofitwhichhewouldpermithimselftoknow,areassuringidentificationwhichhadasemblanceofrationalityandhidhistruemotive.Shefeltcertainthatitwasnotthecountry’spanichewantedtostaveoff,buthisown—thathe,andChickMorrisonandWesleyMouchandalltherestofthelootingcrewneededhersanction,nottoreassuretheirvictims,buttoreassurethemselves,thoughtheallegedlycrafty,theallegedlypracticalideaofdeludingtheirvictimswastheonlyidentificationtheygavetotheirownmotiveandtheirhystericalinsistence.Withanawedcontempt—awedbytheenormityofthesight—shewonderedwhatinnerdegradationthosemenhadtoreachinordertoarriveatalevelofself-deceptionwheretheywouldseektheextortedapprovalofanunwillingvictimasthemoralsanctiontheyneeded,theywhothoughtthattheyweremerelydeceivingtheworld.
