Атлант расправил плечи
The Chain
Allherememberedofthosejobswasthatthemenaroundhimhadneverseemedtoknowwhattodo,whilehehadalwaysknown.Herememberedwonderingwhysomanyironmineswereclosing,justasthesehadbeenabouttocloseuntilhetookthemover.Helookedattheshelvesofrockinthedistance.Workerswereputtingupanewsignaboveagateattheendofaroad:ReardenOre.
Hesawaneveningwhenhesatslumpedacrosshisdeskinthatoffice.Itwaslateandhisstaffhadleft;sohecouldlietherealone,unwitnessed.Hewastired.Itwasasifhehadrunaraceagainsthisownbody,andalltheexhaustionofyears,whichhehadrefusedtoacknowledge,hadcaughthimatonceandflattenedhimagainstthedesktop.Hefeltnothing,exceptthedesirenottomove.Hedidnothavethestrengthtofeel—noteventosuffer.Hehadburnedeverythingtherewastoburnwithinhim;hehadscatteredsomanysparkstostartsomanythings—andhewonderedwhethersomeonecouldgivehimnowthesparkheneeded,nowwhenhefeltunableevertoriseagain.Heaskedhimselfwhohadstartedhimandkepthimgoing.Thenheraisedhishead.Slowly,withthegreatesteffortofhislife,hemadehisbodyriseuntilhewasabletosituprightwithonlyonehandpressedtothedeskandatremblingarmtosupporthim.Heneveraskedthatquestionagain.
Hesawthedaywhenhestoodonahillandlookedatagrimywastelandofstructuresthathadbeenasteelplant.Itwasclosedandgivenup.Hehadboughtitthenightbefore.stillnotgoodenough..."
