Атлант расправил плечи
Anti-Life
Ithadnotbeenasumofachievementsbroughtintoexistence,butonlyasumofzeros,ofthatwhichhadnothappened,asumofpreventedcatastrophes—notataskintheserviceoflife,butonlyaraceagainstdeath.
Therehadbeentimeswhenanunsummonedvision—asightofthevalley—hadseemedtorisebeforeher,notasasuddenappearance,butasaconstant,hiddenpresencethatsuddenlychosetoassumeaninsistentreality.Shehadfacedit,throughmomentsofblindedstillness,inacontestbetweenanunmovingdecisionandanunyieldingpain,apaintobefoughtbyacknowledgment,bysaying:Allright,eventhis.
Therehadbeenmorningswhen,awakeningwithraysofsunlightonherface,shehadthoughtthatshemusthurrytoHammond’sMarkettogetfresheggsforbreakfast;then,recapturingfullconsciousness,seeingthehazeofNewYorkbeyondthewindowofherbedroom,shehadfeltatearingstab,likeatouchofdeath,thetouchofrejectingreality.Youknewit—shehadtoldherselfseverely—youknewwhatitwouldbelikewhenyoumadeyourchoice.Anddraggingherbody,likeanunwillingweight,outofbedtofaceanunwelcomeday,shewouldwhisper:Allright,eventhis.
