Атлант расправил плечи
The Sacred and the Profane
AllthegreatnessthatIsawinyou—Iwouldnottakeitinexchangefortheobscenityofyourtalentatananimal’ssensationofpleasure.Weweretwogreatbeings,youandI,proudofourstrength,weren’twe?Well,thisisallthat’sleftofus—andIwantnoself-deceptionaboutit."
Hespokeslowly,asiflashinghimselfwithhiswords.Therewasnosoundofemotioninhisvoice,onlythelifelesspullofeffort;itwasnotthetoneofaman’swillingnesstospeak,buttheugly,torturedsoundofduty.
"IhelditasmyhonorthatIwouldneverneedanyone.Ineedyou.
IthadbeenmypridethatIhadalwaysactedonmyconvictions.I’vegivenintoadesirewhichIdespise.Itisadesirethathasreducedmymind,mywill,mybeing,mypowertoexistintoanabjectdependenceuponyou—notevenupontheDagnyTaggartwhomIadmired—butuponyourbody,yourhands,yourmouthandthefewsecondsofaconvulsionofyourmuscles.Ihadneverbrokenmyword.NowI’vebrokenanoathIgaveforlife.Ihadnevercommittedanactthathadtobehidden.NowIamtolie,tosneak,tohide.WhateverIwanted,Iwasfreetoproclaimitaloudandachieveitinthesightofthewholeworld.
NowmyonlydesireisoneIloathetonameeventomyself.Butitismyonlydesire.I’mgoingtohaveyou—I’dgiveupeverythingIownforit,themills,theMetal,theachievementofmywholelife.
