Атлант расправил плечи
Anti-Green
Ohyes,wehadfullproofofit,ineveryintimatedetail.Ibelievethatyouholdaphilosophywhichdisapprovesofsacrifice—butinthiscase,youaremostcertainlyawoman,soI’msurethatyouwillfeelgratificationatthemagnitudeofthesacrificeamanhasmadefortheprivilegeofusingyourbody.Youhaveundoubtedlytakengreatpleasureinthenightswhichhespentinyourbed.Youmaynowtakepleasureintheknowledgeofwhatthosenightshavecosthim.Andsince—youlikebluntness,don’tyou,MissTaggart?—sinceyourchosenstatusisthatofawhore,Itakemyhatofftoyouinregardtothepriceyouexacted,whichnoneofyoursisterscouldeverhavehopedtomatch."
Lillian’svoicehadkeptgrowingreluctantlysharper,likeadrillheadthatkeptbreakingbybeingunabletofindthelineofthefaultinthestone.Dagnywasstilllookingather,buttheintensityhadvanishedfromDagny’seyesandposture.LillianwonderedwhyshefeltasifDagny’sfacewerehitbyaspotlight.Shecoulddetectnoparticularexpression,itwassimplyafaceinnaturalrepose—andtheclarityseemedtocomefromitsstructure,fromtheprecisionofitssharpplanes,thefirmnessofthemouth,thesteadinessoftheeyes.Shecouldnotdeciphertheexpressionoftheeyes,itseemedincongruous,itresembledthecalm,notofawoman,butofascholar,ithadthatpeculiar,luminousqualitywhichisthefearlessnessofsatisfiedknowledge.
