Атлант расправил плечи
Their Brothers’ Keepers
Shecaughtherselffeelingthatheronlydesirewasnowtogethomeandfallasleep.
"MissTaggart,"saidapolitelyrational,faintlyanxiousvoice—andjerkingherheadup,shesawthecourteousfigureofawaiter,"theassistantmanageroftheTaggartTerminalisonthetelephone,requestingpermissiontospeaktoyouatonce.Hesaysit’sanemergency."
Itwasarelieftoleaptoherfeetandgetoutofthatroom,evenifinanswertothecallofsomenewdisaster.Itwasarelieftoheartheassistantmanager’svoice,eventhoughitwassaying,"Theinterlockersystemisout,MissTaggart.Thesignalsaredead.Thereareeightincomingtrainsheldupandsixoutgoing.Wecan’tmovetheminoroutofthetunnels,wecan’tfindthechiefengineer,wecan’tlocatethebreachofthecircuit,wehavenocopperwireforrepairs,wedon’tknowwhattodo,we—"
"I’llberightdown,"shesaid,droppingthereceiver.
Hurryingtotheelevator,thenhalf-runningthroughthestatelylobbyoftheWayne-Falkland,shefeltherselfreturningtolifeatthesummonsofthepossibilityofaction.
Taxicabswererare,thesedays,andnonecameinanswertothedoorman’swhistle.Shestartedrapidlydownthestreet,forgettingwhatshewore,wonderingwhythetouchofthewindseemedtoocoldandtooultimatelyclose.
