Атлант расправил плечи
The Theme
"Thendoyouwantustoremaininthehole?"
"Ihaven’tsaidthat!Whydoyoualwaysoversimplifythingsthatway?Andifyou’reworriedaboutmoney,Idon’tseewhyyouwanttowasteitontheRioNorteLine,whenthePhoenix-Durangohasrobbedusofallourbusinessdownthere. Whyspendmoneywhenwehavenoprotectionagainstacompetitorwho’lldestroyourinvestment?"
"BecausethePhoenix-Durangoisanexcellentrailroad,butIintendtomaketheRioNorteLinebetterthanthat. BecauseI’mgoingtobeatthePhoenix-Durango,ifnecessary—onlyitwon’tbenecessary,becausetherewillberoomfortwoorthreerailroadstomakefortunesinColorado. BecauseI’dmortgagethesystemtobuildabranchtoanydistrictaroundEllisWyatt."
"I’msickofhearingaboutEllisWyatt."
Hedidnotlikethewayhereyesmovedtolookathimandremainedstill,looking,foramoment.
"Idon’tseeanyneedforimmediateaction,"hesaid;hesoundedoffended. "JustwhatdoyouconsidersoalarminginthepresentsituationofTaggartTranscontinental?"
"Theconsequencesofyourpolicies,Jim."
"Whichpolicies?"
"Thatthirteenmonths’experimentwithAssociatedSteel,forone.YourMexicancatastrophe,foranother."
"TheBoardapprovedtheAssociatedSteelcontract,"hesaidhastily. "TheBoardvotedtobuildtheSanSebastiánLine. Besides,Idon’tseewhyyoucallitacatastrophe."
"BecausetheMexicangovernmentisgoingtonationalizeyourlineanydaynow.
