Атлант расправил плечи
The Egoist
Buttheywenttotheirusualpostsandwentonwiththeirhabitualroutine,pullinglevers,pressingbuttons,feedingleatherintoautomaticcutters,pilingboxesonamovingbelt,wondering,asthehourswentby,whytheydidnotcatchsightoftheforeman,orthesuperintendent,orthegeneralmanager,orthecompanypresident.
Itwasnoonbeforetheydiscoveredthatthefrontofficesoftheplantwereempty.
"Yougoddamncannibals!"screamedawomaninthemidstofacrowdedmovietheater,breakingintosudden,hystericalsobs—andtheaudienceshowednosignofastonishment,asifshewerescreamingforthemall,"Thereisnocauseforalarm,"saidofficialbroadcastsonDecember5."Mr.ThompsonwishesittobeknownthatheiswillingtonegotiatewithJohnGaltforthepurposeofdevisingwaysandmeanstoachieveaspeedysolutionofourproblems.Mr.Thompsonurgesthepeopletobepatient.Wemustnotworry,wemustnotdoubt,wemustnotloseheart."
TheattendantsofahospitalinIllinoisshowednoastonishmentwhenamanwasbroughtin,beatenupbyhiselderbrother,whohadsupportedhimallhislife:theyoungermanhadscreamedattheelder,accusinghimofselfishnessandgreed—justastheattendantsofahospitalinNewYorkCityshowednoastonishmentatthecaseofawomanwhocameinwithafracturedjaw:shehadbeenslappedinthefacebyatotalstranger,whohadheardherorderingherfive-yearoldsontogivehisbesttoytothechildrenofneighbors.
