Атлант расправил плечи
Anti-Life
Itwasknownthatherparticularbrandoftradingwasherhusband’schiefasset,inanagewhenonetraded,notgoods,butfavors—and,watchingheramongtheguests,Taggarthadfoundamusementinwonderingwhatdealshadbeenmade,whatdirectivesissued,whatindustriesdestroyedinexchangeforafewchancenights,whichmostofthosemenhadhadnoreasontoseekand,perhaps,couldnolongerremember.Thepartyhadboredhim,therehadbeenonlyhalfadozenpersonsforwhosesakehehadputinanappearance,andithadnotbeennecessarytospeaktothathalf-dozen,merelytobeseenandtoexchangeafewglances.Dinnerhadbeenabouttobeserved,whenhehadheardwhathehadcometohear:SenorGonzaleshadmentioned—thesmokeofhiscigarweavingoverthehalf-dozenmenwhohaddriftedtowardhisarmchair—thatbyagreementwiththefuturePeople’sStateofArgentina,thepropertiesofd’AnconiaCopperwouldbenationalizedbythePeople’sStateofChile,inlessthanamonth,onSeptember2.
IthadallgoneasTaggarthadexpected;theunexpectedhadcomewhen,onhearingthosewords,hehadfeltanirresistibleurgetoescape.
Hehadfeltincapableofenduringtheboredomofthedinner,asifsomeotherformofactivitywereneededtogreettheachievementofthisnight.
