Атлант расправил плечи
The Non-commercial
Pritchett’sfacewhenheansweredthegreetingandperformedafewintroductions.
"Wewerejustdiscussingamostinterestingsubject,"saidtheearnestmatron."Dr.Pritchettwastellingusthatnothingisanything."
"Heshould,undoubtedly,knowmorethananyoneelseaboutthat,"Franciscoansweredgravely.
"Iwouldn’thavesupposedthatyouknewDr.Pritchettsowell,Senord‘Anconia,"shesaid,andwonderedwhytheprofessorlookeddispleasedbyherremark.
"IamanalumnusofthegreatschoolthatemploysDr.Pritchettatpresent,thePatrickHenryUniversity.ButIstudiedunderoneofhispredecessors—HughAkston."
"HughAkston!"theattractiveyoungwomangasped."Butyoucouldn’thave,Senord‘Anconia!You’renotoldenough.Ithoughthewasoneofthosegreatnamesof...ofthelastcentury."
"Perhapsinspirit,madame.Notinfact."
"ButIthoughthediedyearsago."
"Why,no.Heisstillalive."
"Thenwhydon’tweeverhearabouthimanymore?"
"Heretired,nineyearsago."
"Isn’titodd?Whenapoliticianoramoviestarretires,wereadfrontpagestoriesaboutit.Butwhenaphilosopherretires,peopledonotevennoticeit."
"Theydo,eventually."
Ayoungmansaid,astonished,"IthoughtHughAkstonwasoneofthoseclassicsthatnobodystudiedanymore,exceptinhistoriesofphilosophy.Ireadanarticlerecentlywhichreferredtohimasthelastofthegreatadvocatesofreason."
"JustwhatdidHughAkstonteach?"askedtheearnestmatron.
