Атлант расправил плечи
Anti-Life
"I’dliketodoit—forthesamereasonsasyours—andIthinkyouknowit.ButwhateverpowerIhaveisnotenoughinthiscase."
Shewaslookingathim,hereyesdarkwithanodd,lifelessstillness;whenshespoke,themotionofherlipswastwistedbysoevilacontemptthathedidnotdareidentifyitbeyondknowingthatitembracedthemboth;shesaid,"Iknowthatyou’dliketodoit."
Hefeltnodesiretopretend;oddly,forthefirsttime,forthisonechance,truthseemedmuchmorepleasurable—truth,foronce,servinghisparticularkindofenjoyment."Ithinkyouknowthatitcan’tbedone,"hesaid."Nobodydoesfavorsnowadays,ifthere’snothingtogaininreturn.Andthestakesaregettinghigherandhigher.Thegopherholes,asyoucalledthem,aresocomplex,sotwistedandintertwistedthateverybodyhassomethingoneverybodyelse,andnobodydaresmovebecausehecan’ttellwho’llcrackwhichwayorwhen.Sohe’llmoveonlywhenhehasto,whenthestakesarelifeordeath—andthat’spracticallytheonlykindofstakeswe’replayingfornow.Well,what’syourprivatelifetoanyofthoseboys?Thatyou’dliketoholdyourhusband—what’sinitforthem,onewayoranother?Andmypersonalstock-in-trade—well,there’snothingIcouldofferthematthemomentinexchangefortryingtoblastawholecourtcliqueoutofahighlyprofitabledeal.Besides,rightnow,thetopboyswouldn’tdoitatanyprice.
