Атлант расправил плечи

           Thevoicesfillingtheroomwerelikeafeverchart,shethought;theykeptdartingtoohighandcollapsingintopatchesofsilence;theoccasionalspurtsofsomeone’slaughterbrokeoff,incompleted,andattractedtheshudderingturnoftheheadsattheneighboringtables.Thefacesweredrawnandtwistedbythemostobviousandleastdignifiedformoftension:byforcedsmiles.Thesepeople—shethought—knew,notbymeansoftheirreason,butbymeansoftheirpanic,thatthisbanquetwastheultimateclimaxandthenakedessenceoftheirworld.TheyknewthatneithertheirGodnortheirgunscouldmakethiscelebrationmeanwhattheywerestrugglingtopretenditmeant.

           Shecouldnotswallowthefoodthatwasplacedbeforeher;herthroatseemedclosedbyarigidconvulsion.Shenoticedthattheothersathertablewerealsomerelypretendingtoeat.Dr.Ferriswastheonlyonewhoseappetiteseemedunaffected.

           Whenshesawaslushoficecreaminacrystalbowlbeforeher,shenoticedthesuddensilenceoftheroomandheardthescreechingofthetelevisionmachinerybeingdraggedforwardforaction.Now—shethought,withasinkingsenseofexpectation,andknewthatthesamequestionmarkwasoneverymindintheroom.TheywereallstaringatGalt.Hisfacedidnotmoveorchange.

           Noonehadtocallforsilence,whenMr.Thompsonwavedtoanannouncer:theroomdidnotseemtobreathe.