Атлант расправил плечи
Their Brothers’ Keepers
Afewblocksaway,itstowermergingintodarkness,thecalendarhungattheleveloftheirfaces,notasasmall,disturbingrectangle,butasanenormousscreen,eerilycloseandlarge,floodedbythedead,whiteglowoflightprojectedthroughanemptyfilm,emptybutfortheletters:September2.
"ReardenSteelisnowworkingatcapacity,"hewassayingindifferently."They’veliftedtheproductionquotasoffmymills—forthenextfiveminutes,Iguess.Idon’tknowhowmanyoftheirownregulationsthey’vesuspended,Idon’tthinktheyknowit,either,theydon’tbotherkeepingtrackoflegalityanylonger,I’msureI’malaw-breakeronfiveorsixcounts,whichnobodycouldproveordisprove—allIknowisthatthegangsterofthemomenttoldmetogofullsteamahead."Heshrugged."Whenanothergangsterkickshimouttomorrow,I’llprobablybeshutdown,aspenaltyforillegaloperation.Butaccordingtotheplanofthepresentsplit-second,they’vebeggedmetokeeppouringmyMetal,inanyamountandbyanymeansIchoose."
Shenoticedtheoccasional,surreptitiousglancesthatpeoplewerethrowingintheirdirection.Shehadnoticeditbefore,eversinceherbroadcast,eversincethetwoofthemhadbeguntoappearinpublictogether.Insteadofthedisgracehehaddreaded,therewasanairofaweduncertaintyinpeople’smanner—uncertaintyoftheirownmoralprecepts,aweinthepresenceoftwopersonswhodaredtobecertainofbeingright.
