Атлант расправил плечи

           Asitwentshrinkingintothedistanceandsunlight,Dagny’spictureofitwasthreestraightlines:itswake,thelongshriekofitsmotor,andtheaimofthedriveratitswheel.

           Shenoticedthestrangeexpressionofherfather’sfaceashelookedatthevanishingspeedboat.Hesaidnothing;hejuststoodlooking.Sherememberedthatshehadseenhimlookthatwayoncebefore.ItwaswhenheinspectedacomplexsystemofpulleyswhichFrancisco,agedtwelve,haderectedtomakeanelevatortothetopofarock;hewasteachingDagnyandEddietodivefromtherockintotheHudson.Francisco’snotesofcalculationwerestillscatteredaboutontheground;herfatherpickedthemup,lookedatthem,thenasked,"Francisco,howmanyyearsofalgebrahaveyouhad?""Twoyears.""Whotaughtyoutodothis?""Oh,that’sjustsomethingIfiguredout."Shedidnotknowthatwhatherfatherheldonthecrumpledsheetsofpaperwasthecrudeversionofadifferentialequation.

           TheheirsofSebastiánd‘Anconiahadbeenanunbrokenlineoffirstsons,whoknewhowtobearhisname.Itwasatraditionofthefamilythatthemantodisgracethemwouldbetheheirwhodied,leavingthed’Anconiafortunenogreaterthanhehadreceivedit.Throughoutthegenerations,thatdisgracehadnotcome.AnArgentinianlegendsaidthatthehandofad‘Anconiahadthemiraculouspowerofthesaints—onlyitwasnotthepowertoheal,butthepowertoproduce.