Атлант расправил плечи

           "Well?What’sthematter?"

           "Thegenerator’sontheblink,"saidthemechanichelplessly.

           "What’sthematterwithit?"

           "Idon’tknow."

           "Well,findoutandfixit!"

           Themanwasnotatrainedelectrician;hehadbeenchosen,notforhisknowledge,butforhisuncriticalcapacityforpushinganybuttons;theeffortheneededtolearnhistaskwassuchthathisconsciousnesscouldbereliedupontohavenoroomforanythingelse.Heopenedtherearpanelofthemachineandstaredinbewildermentattheintricatecoils:hecouldfindnothingvisiblyoutoforder.Heputonhisrubbergloves,pickedupapairofpliers,tightenedafewboltsatrandom,andscratchedhishead.

           "Idon’tknow,"hesaid;hisvoicehadasoundofhelplessdocility.

           "WhoamItoknow?"

           Thethreemenwereontheirfeet,crowdingbehindthemachinetostareatitsrecalcitrantorgans.Theywereactingmerelybyreflex:theyknewthattheydidnotknow.

           "Butyou’vegottofixit!"yelledFerris."It’sgottowork!We’vegottohaveelectricity!"

           "Wemustcontinue!"criedTaggart;hewasshaking,"It’sridiculous!

           Iwon’thaveit!Iwon’tbeinterrupted!Iwon’tlethimoff!"Hepointedinthedirectionofthemattress.

           "Dosomething!"Ferriswascryingtothemechanic.