Атлант расправил плечи
The Egoist
Afterweeksoffranticactivityonthepartofinsurancecompanies,offiremen,ofambulancesandoffirst-aidunits,attendingtoaseriesofinexplicableaccidents—the"People’sManager"hadvanishedonemorning,havingsoldandshippedtosundryracketeersofEuropeandLatinAmericamostofthecranes,theautomaticconveyors,thesuppliesofrefractorybrick,theemergencypowergenerator,andthecarpetfromwhathadoncebeenRearden’soffice.
Noonehadbeenabletountangletheissuesintheviolentchaosofthenextfewdays—theissueshadneverbeennamed,thesideshadremainedunacknowledged,buteveryonehadknownthatthebloodyencountersbetweentheolderworkersandthenewerhadnotbeendriventosuchferociousintensitybythetrivialcausesthatkeptsettingthemoff—neitherguardsnorpolicemennorstatetroopershadbeenabletokeeporderforthelengthofaday—norcouldanyfactionmusteracandidatewillingtoacceptthepostof"People’sManager."
OnJanuary22,theoperationsofReardenSteelhadbeenorderedtemporarilysuspended.
Theshaftofredsmoke,thatnight,hadbeencausedbyasixty-yearoldworker,whohadsetfiretooneofthestructuresandhadbeencaughtintheact,laughingdazedlyandstaringattheflames."ToavengeHankRearden!"hehadcrieddefiantly,tearsrunningdownhisfurnace-tannedface.
