Атлант расправил плечи

           "Nowtellme,"heasked,"wherewereyou?"

           "Ican’ttellyouthat.I’vegivenmywordnevertorevealanythingaboutit.Icansayonlythatit’saplaceIfoundbyaccident,whenIcrashed,andIleftitblindfolded—andIwouldn’tbeabletofinditagain."

           "Couldn’tyoutraceyourwaybacktoit?"

           "Iwon’ttry."

           "Andtheman?"

           "Iwon’tlookforhim."

           "Heremainedthere?"

           "Idon’tknow."

           "Whydidyouleavehim?"

           "Ican’ttellyou."

           "Whoishe?"

           Herchuckleofdesperateamusementwasinvoluntary."WhoisJohnGalt?"

           Heglancedather,astonished—butrealizedthatshewasnotjoking.

           "SothereisaJohnGalt?"heaskedslowly.

           "Yes."

           "Thatslangphrasereferstohim?"

           "Yes."

           "Andithassomespecialmeaning?"

           "Ohyes!...There’sonethingIcantellyouabouthim,becauseIdiscovereditearlier,withoutpromiseofsecrecy:heisthemanwhoinventedthemotorwefound."

           "Oh!"Hesmiled,asifheshouldhaveknownit.Thenhesaidsoftly,withaglancethatwasalmostcompassion,"He’sthedestroyer,isn’the?"Hesawherlookofshock,andadded,"No,don’tanswerme,ifyoucan’t.