Атлант расправил плечи

           Inthediningroombehindthem,thesoundsofthemusicwereaconcertétudebyRichardHalley;Halley’snamewasnotknowntomany,buttheyhaddiscovereditandtheylovedhismusic.Franciscosaid,"Wedon’thavetolookforskyscrapersinthedistance,dowe?We’vereachedthem."Shesmiledandsaid,"Ithinkwe’regoingpastthem....I’malmostafraid...we’reonaspeedingelevatorofsomekind.""Sure.Afraidofwhat?Letitspeed.Whyshouldtherebealimit?"

           Hewastwenty-threewhenhisfatherdiedandhewenttoBuenosAirestotakeoverthed‘Anconiaestate,nowhis.Shedidnotseehimforthreeyears.

           Hewrotetoher,atfirst,atrandomintervals.Hewroteaboutd‘AnconiaCopper,abouttheworldmarket,aboutissuesaffectingtheinterestsofTaggartTranscontinental.Hisletterswerebrief,writtenbyhand,usuallyatnight.

           Shewasnotunhappyinhisabsence.She,too,wasmakingherfirststepstowardthecontrolofafuturekingdom.Amongtheleadersofindustry,herfather’sfriends,shehearditsaidthatonehadbetterwatchtheyoungd‘Anconiaheir;ifthatcoppercompanyhadbeengreatbefore,itwouldsweeptheworldnow,underwhathismanagementpromisedtobecome.Shesmiled,withoutastonishment.Thereweremomentswhenshefeltasudden,violentlongingforhim,butitwasonlyimpatience,notpain.Shedismissedit,intheconfidentknowledgethattheywerebothworkingtowardafuturethatwouldbringthemeverythingtheywanted,includingeachother.Thenhislettersstopped.