Атлант расправил плечи
Their Brothers’ Keepers
Itwasmovingdayandnight,thefirsttricklesgrowingintostreams,thenrivers,thentorrents—movingonpalsiedtruckswithcoughing,tubercularmotors—onwagonspulledbytherustyskeletonsofstarvinghorses—oncartspulledbyoxen—onthenervesandlastenergyofmenwhohadlivedthroughtwoyearsofdisasterforthetriumphantrewardofthisautumn’sgiantharvest,menwhohadpatchedtheirtrucksandcartswithwire,blankets,ropesandsleeplessnights,tomakethemholdtogetherforthisonemorejourney,tocarrythegrainandcollapseatdestination,buttogivetheirownersachanceatsurvival.
Everyyear,atthisseason,anothermovementhadgoneclickingacrossthecountry,drawingfreightcarsfromallcornersofthecontinenttotheMinnesotaDivisionofTaggartTranscontinental,thebeatoftrainwheelsprecedingthecreakofthewagons,likeanadvanceechorigorouslyplanned,orderedandtimedtomeettheflood.TheMinnesotaDivisiondrowsedthroughtheyear,tocometoviolentlifefortheweeksoftheharvest;fourteenthousandfreightcarshadjammeditsyardseachyear;fifteenthousandwereexpectedthistime.Thefirstofthewheattrainshadstartedtochannelthefloodintothehungryflourmills,thenbakeries,thenstomachsofthenation—buteverytrain,carandstorageelevatorcounted,andtherewasnominuteorinchofspacetospare.
EddieWillerswatchedDagny’sfaceasshewentthroughthecardsofheremergencyfile;hecouldtellthecontentofthecardsbyherexpression.
