Атлант расправил плечи
The Exploiters and the Exploited
Butsurelyyoucantellyourcustomersthatit’sanactofGod!
Whatifyoudoholdthemup?Nobodycanblameyouinacaseofthiskind!"
Inthenexttwohours,withtheassistanceofhissecretary,twoyoungengineersfromhisshippingdepartment,aroadmap,andthelong-distancetelephone,Reardenarrangedforafleetoftruckstoproceedtothesceneofthewreck,andforachainofhoppercarstomeetthemattheneareststationoftheAtlanticSouthern.ThehoppercarshadbeenborrowedfromTaggartTranscontinental.ThetruckshadbeenrecruitedfromalloverNewMexico,ArizonaandColorado.Rearden’sengineershadhuntedbytelephoneforprivatetruckownersandhadofferedpaymentsthatcutallargumentsshort.
ItwasthethirdofthreeshipmentsofcopperthatReardehadexpected;twoordershadnotbeendelivered:onecompanyhadgoneoutofbusiness,theotherwasstillpleadingdelaysthatitcouldnothelp.
Hehadattendedtothematterwithoutbreakinghischainofappointments,withoutraisinghisvoice,withoutsignofstrain,uncertaintyorapprehension;hehadactedwiththeswiftprecisionofamilitarycommanderundersuddenfire—andGwenIves,hissecretary,hadactedashiscalmestlieutenant.
