Атлант расправил плечи

           "

           Therewasatime,shethought,whenhismind,hisenergy,hisinexhaustibleresourcefulnesshadbeengiventothetaskofaproducerdevisingbetterwaystodealwithnature;now,theywereswitchedtothetaskofacriminaloutwittingmen.Shewonderedhowlongamancouldendureachangeofthatkind.

           "It’sbecomingalmostimpossibletogetironore,"hesaidindifferently,thenadded,hisvoicesuddenlyalive,"Nowit’sgoingtobecompletelyimpossibletogetcopper."Hewasgrinning.

           Shewonderedhowlongamancouldcontinuetoworkagainsthimself,toworkwhenhisdeepestdesirewasnottosucceed,buttofail.

           Sheunderstoodtheconnectionofhisthoughtswhenhesaid,"I’venevertoldyou,butI’vemetRagnarDanneskjold."

           "Hetoldme."

           "What?Wheredidyouever—"Hestopped."Ofcourse,"hesaid,hisvoicetenseandlow."Hewouldbeoneofthem.Youwouldhavemethim.Dagny,whataretheylike,thosemenwho...No.Don’tanswerme."Inamomentheadded,"SoI’vemetoneoftheiragents."

           "You’vemettwoofthem."

           Hisresponsewasaspanoftotalstillness."Ofcourse,"hesaiddully.

           "Iknewit...Ijustwouldn’tadmittomyselfthatIknew...Hewastheirrecruitingagent,wasn’the?"

           "Oneoftheirearliestandbest."

           Hechuckled;itwasasoundofbitternessandlonging.