Атлант расправил плечи
In the Name of the Best among us
"Comeherewithyourhandsup!"orderedFrancisco.
Theguardsawthesilhouetteofaresolutestrangerandtheglintofagun:Itwasenough.Heobeyedimmediately;heseemedrelievedtoescapefromthedampstonecrypt.Hewaslefttiedontheflooroftheoffice,alongwiththeguardwhohadledthem.
Thenthefourrescuerswerefreetoflydownthestairstothelockedsteeldooratthebottom.Theyhadactedandmovedwiththeprecisionofacontrolleddiscipline.Now,itwasasiftheirinnerreinshadbroken.
Danneskjoldhadthetoolstosmashthelock.Franciscowasfirsttoenterthecellar,andhisarmbarredDagny’swayforthefractionofasecond—forthelengthofalooktomakecertainthatthesightwasbearable—thenheletherrushpasthim:beyondthetangleofelectricwires,hehadseenGalt’sliftedheadandglanceofgreeting.
Shefelldownonherkneesbythesideofthemattress.Galtlookedupather,ashehadlookedontheirfirstmorninginthevalley,hissmilewaslikethesoundofalaughterthathadneverbeentouchedbypain,hisvoicewassoftandlow:"Weneverhadtotakeanyofitseriously,didwe?"
Tearsrunningdownherface,buthersmiledeclaringafull,confident,radiantcertainty,sheanswered,"No,weneverhadto."
ReardenandDanneskjoldwerecuttinghisbonds.FranciscoheldaflaskofbrandytoGalt’slips.
