Атлант расправил плечи
In the Name of the Best among us
Onlyafaintechowithinthesoundsspokeofthatfromwhichthemusichadescaped,butspokeinlaughingastonishmentatthediscoverythattherewasnouglinessorpain,andthereneverhadhadtobe.Itwasthesongofanimmensedeliverance.
Thelightsofthevalleyfellinglowingpatchesonthesnowstillcoveringtheground.Therewereshelvesofsnowonthegraniteledgesandontheheavylimbsofthepines.Butthenakedbranchesofthebirchtreeshadafaintlyupwardthrust,asifinconfidentpromiseofthecomingleavesofspring.
TherectangleoflightonthesideofamountainwasthewindowofMulligan’sstudy.MidasMulligansatathisdesk,withamapandacolumnoffiguresbeforehim.Hewaslistingtheassetsofhisbankandworkingonaplanofprojectedinvestments.Hewasnotingdownthelocationshewaschoosing:"NewYork—Cleveland—Chicago...NewYork—Philadelphia...NewYork...NewYork...NewYork..."
TherectangleoflightatthebottomofthevalleywasthewindowofDanneskjold’shome.KayLudlowsatbeforeamirror,thoughtfullystudyingtheshadesoffilmmake-up,spreadopeninabatteredcase.
RagnarDanneskjoldlaystretchedonacouch,readingavolumeoftheworksofAristotle:"...forthesetruthsholdgoodforeverythingthatis,andnotforsomespecialgenusapartfromothers.Andallmenusethem,becausetheyaretrueofbeingquabeing...Foraprinciplewhicheveryonemusthavewhounderstandsanythingthatis,isnotahypothesis...
