Атлант расправил плечи

           BenNealyboughtitinthenameofacousin.PaulLarkinboughtitunderanalias."Idon’tbelieveinraisingcontroversialissues,"saidoneofthesemen.

           "Ohyes,ofcourse,theconstructionismovingonschedule,"saidJamesTaggart,shrugging,tohisBoardofDirectors."Ohyes,youmayfeelfullconfidence.Mydearsisterdoesnothappentobeahumanbeing,butjustaninternalcombustionengine,soonemustnotwonderathersuccess."

           WhenJamesTaggartheardarumorthatsomebridgegirdershadsplitandcrashed,killingthreeworkmen,heleapedtohisfeetandrantohissecretary’soffice,orderinghimtocallColorado.Hewaited,pressedagainstthesecretary’sdesk,asifseekingprotection;hiseyeshadtheunfocusedlookofpanic.Yethismouthmovedsuddenlyintoalmostasmileandhesaid,"I’dgiveanythingtoseeHenryRearden’sfacerightnow."Whenheheardthattherumorwasfalse,hesaid,"ThankGod!"

           Buthisvoicehadanoteofdisappointment.

           "Ohwell!"saidPhilipReardentohisfriends,hearingthesamerumor."Maybehecanfail,too,onceinawhile.Maybemygreatbrotherisn’tasgreatashethinks."

           "Darling,"saidLillianReardentoherhusband,"Ifoughtforyouyesterday,atateawherethewomenweresayingthatDagnyTaggartisyourmistress...Oh,forheaven’ssake,don’tlookatmelikethat!

           Iknowit’spreposterousandIgavethemhellforit.