Атлант расправил плечи

           "Themanwhousesanother’spityforhimasaweapon."

           Inhislongcareer,hehadignoredallthepublicattacksonhim,exceptone.HisfirstnamehadbeenMichael;whenanewspapercolumnistofthehumanitariancliquenicknamedhimMidasMulliganandthetagstucktohimasaninsult,Mulliganappearedincourtandpetitionedforalegalchangeofhisfirstnameto"Midas."Thepetitionwasgranted.

           Intheeyesofhiscontemporaries,hewasamanwhohadcommittedtheoneunforgivablesin:hewasproudofhiswealth.

           ThesewerethethingsDagnyhadheardaboutMidasMulligan;shehadnevermethim.Sevenyearsago,MidasMulliganhadvanished.

           Helefthishomeonemorningandwasneverheardfromagain.Onthenextday,thedepositorsoftheMulliganBankinChicagoreceivednoticesrequestingthattheywithdrawtheirfunds,becausethebankwasclosing.Intheinvestigationsthatfollowed,itwaslearnedthatMulliganhadplannedtheclosinginadvanceandinminutedetail;hisemployeesweremerelycarryingouthisinstructions.Itwasthemostorderlyrunonabankthatthecountryeverwitnessed.Everydepositorreceivedhismoneydowntothelastfractionofinterestdue.Allofthebank’sassetshadbeensoldpiecemealtovariousfinancialinstitutions.Whenthebookswerebalanced,itwasfoundthattheybalancedperfectly,tothepenny;nothingwasleftover;theMulliganBankhadbeenwipedout.