Атлант расправил плечи

           "GoodGod,Dagny!DoyouexpectmetobeafraidofanobjectlikeJames?"

           Itwasdayslater,whentheywerealone,walkingthroughthewoodsontheshoreoftheriver,thatsheasked:

           "Francisco,what’sthemostdepravedtypeofhumanbeing?"

           "Themanwithoutapurpose."

           Shewaslookingatthestraightshaftsofthetreesthatstoodagainstthegreat,sudden,shiningspreadofspacebeyond.Theforestwasdimandcool,buttheouterbranchescaughtthehot,silversunraysfromthewater.Shewonderedwhysheenjoyedthesight,whenshehadnevertakenanynoticeofthecountryaroundher,whyshewassoawareofherenjoyment,ofhermovements,ofherbodyintheprocessofwalking.ShedidnotwanttolookatFrancisco.Shefeltthathispresenceseemedmoreintenselyrealwhenshekepthereyesawayfromhim,almostasifthestressedawarenessofherselfcamefromhim,likethesunlightfromthewater.

           "Youthinkyou’regood,don’tyou?"heasked.

           "Ialwaysdid,"sheanswereddefiantly,withoutturning.

           "Well,letmeseeyouproveit.Letmeseehowfaryou’llrisewithTaggartTranscontinental.Nomatterhowgoodyouare,I’llexpectyoutowringeverythingyou’vegot,tryingtobestillbetter.Andwhenyou’vewornyourselfouttoreachagoal,I’llexpectyoutostartforanother."

           "WhydoyouthinkthatIcaretoproveanythingtoyou?"sheasked.

           "Wantmetoanswer?"

           "No,"shewhispered,hereyesfixedupontheothershoreoftheriverinthedistance.