Атлант расправил плечи
Anti-Life
"
"Jim,whydidyoumarryme?"
Hechuckledsadly."That’swhateverybodykeptaskingme.Ididn’tthinkyou’deveraskit.Why?BecauseIloveyou."
Shewonderedathowstrangeitwasthatthisword—whichwassupposedtobethesimplestinthehumanlanguage,thewordunderstoodbyall,theuniversalbondamongmen—conveyedtohernomeaningwhatever.Shedidnotknowwhatitwasthatitnamedinhismind.
"Nobody’severlovedme,"hesaid."Thereisn’tanyloveintheworld.Peopledon’tfeel.Ifeelthings.Whocaresaboutthat?Alltheycareforistimeschedulesandfreightloadsandmoney.Ican’tliveamongthosepeople.I’mverylonely.I’vealwayslongedtofindunderstanding.MaybeI’mjustahopelessidealist,lookingfortheimpossible.
Nobodywilleverunderstandme."
"Jim,"shesaid,withanoddlittlenoteofseverityinhervoice,"whatI’vestruggledforallthistimeistounderstandyou."
Hedroppedhishandinamotionofbrushingherwordsaside,notoffensively,butsadly."Ithoughtyoucould.You’reallIhave.Butmaybeunderstandingisjustnotpossiblebetweenhumanbeings."
"Whyshoulditbeimpossible?Whydon’tyoutellmewhatitisthatyouwant?Whydon’tyouhelpmetounderstandyou?"
Hesighed."That’sit.That’sthetrouble—youraskingallthosewhy’s.
