Атлант расправил плечи
The Non-commercial
Shelaughed;therewasanoteofsadnessinit."ButIdon’tdrink,either.That’sjustanothersymbolthatdoesn’tmeanwhatitwasintendedtomean."Hewassilent.Sheadded,"Perhapsthere’ssomethingthatwehavemissed."
"Iamnotawareofit."
Inaflashofsudden,desolateemptiness,shewasgladthathehadnotunderstoodorresponded,feelingdimlythatshehadrevealedtoomuch,yetnotknowingwhatshehadrevealed.Sheshrugged,themovementrunningthroughthecurveofhershoulderlikeafaintconvulsion."It’sjustanoldillusionofmine,"shesaidindifferently."Justamoodthatcomesonceeveryyearortwo.LetmeseethelateststeelpriceindexandI’llforgetallaboutit."
Shedidnotknowthathiseyeswerefollowingher,asshewalkedawayfromhim.
Shemovedslowlythroughtheroom,lookingatnoone.Shenoticedasmallgrouphuddledbytheunlightedfireplace.Theroomwasnotcold,buttheysatasiftheydrewcomfortfromthethoughtofanon-existentfire.
"Idonotknowwhy,butIamgrowingtobeafraidofthedark.No,notnow,onlywhenIamalone.Whatfrightensmeisnight.Nightassuch."
Thespeakerwasanelderlyspinsterwithanairofbreedingandhopelessness.Thethreewomenandtwomenofthegroupwerewelldressed,theskinoftheirfaceswassmoothlywelltended,buttheyhadamannerofanxiouscautionthatkepttheirvoicesonetonelowerthannormalandblurredthedifferencesoftheirages,givingthemallthesamegraylookofbeingspent.
