Атлант расправил плечи
The John Galt line
Thewordsforit,andforthisjourney,andforherfeeling,andforthewholeofman’searth,were:It’ssosimpleandsoright!
Shelookedoutatthecountry.Shehadbeenawareforsometimeofthehumanfiguresthatflashedwithanoddregularityatthesideofthetrack.Buttheywentbysofastthatshecouldnotgrasptheirmeaninguntil,likethesquaresofamoviefilm,briefflashesblendedintoawholeandsheunderstoodit.Shehadhadthetrackguardedsinceitscompletion,butshehadnothiredthehumanchainshesawstrungoutalongtheright-of-way.Asolitaryfigurestoodateverymilepost.Somewereyoungschoolboys,othersweresooldthatthesilhouettesoftheirbodieslookedbentagainstthesky.Allofthemwerearmed,withanythingtheyhadfound,fromcostlyriflestoancientmuskets.Allofthemworerailroadcaps.TheywerethesonsofTaggartemployees,andoldrailroadmenwhohadretiredafterafulllifetimeofTaggartservice.Theyhadcome,unsummoned,toguardthistrain.Astheenginewentpasthim,everymaninhisturnstooderect,atattention,andraisedhisguninamilitarysalute.
Whenshegraspedit,sheburstoutlaughing,suddenly,withtheabruptnessofacry.Shelaughed,shaking,likeachild;itsoundedlikesobsofdeliverance.PatLogannoddedtoherwithafaintsmile;hehadnotedtheguardofhonorlongago.Sheleanedtotheopenwindow,andherarmsweptinwidecurvesoftriumph,wavingtothemenbythetrack.
