Атлант расправил плечи
In the Name of the Best among us
Onewastheimageofawaystationtheyhadpassedwithoutstopping,morethantwohoursago:hehadnoticedtheemptyplatformandthebrightlylightedwindowsofthesmallstationbuilding;thelightscamefromemptyrooms;hehadseennosinglehumanfigure,neitherinthebuildingnoronthetracksoutside.Theotherimagewasofthenextwaystationtheyhadpassed:itsplatformwasjammedwithanagitatedmob.Nowtheywerefarbeyondthereachofthelightorsoundofanystation.
HehadtogettheCometoutofhere,hethought.Hewonderedwhyhefeltitwithsuchurgencyandwhyithadseemedsocruciallyimportanttore-establishtheComet’srun.Amerehandfulofpassengerswasrattlinginheremptycars;menhadnoplacetogoandnogoalstoreach.Itwasnotfortheirsakethathehadstruggled;hecouldnotsayforwhose.Twophrasesstoodastheanswerinhismind,drivinghimwiththevaguenessofaprayerandthescaldingforceofanabsolute.
Onewas:FromOceantoOcean,forever—theotherwas:Don’tletitgo!...
Theconductorreturnedanhourlater,withthefireman,whosefacelookedoddlygrim.
"Mr.Willers,"saidthefiremanslowly,"DivisionHeadquartersdoesnotanswer."
EddieWillerssatup,hismindrefusingtobelieveit,yetknowingsuddenlythatforsomeinexplicablereasonthiswaswhathehadexpected."It’simpossible!"hesaid,hisvoicelow;thefiremanwaslookingathim,notmoving.
