Атлант расправил плечи
The Man who belonged on Earth
"
"Thatwasafire,wasn’tit?InColorado?Thatwas...waitamoment...thatwasthemanwhosetfiretohisownoilwells."
"I’minclinedtobelievethatthat’sarumorcreatedbypublichysteria,"saidDr.Ferrisdryly."Arumorwithsomeundesirable,unpatrioticimplications.Iwouldn’tputtoomuchfaithinthosenewspaperstories.Personally,IbelievethatitwasanaccidentandthatEllisWyattperishedinthefire."
"Well,whoownsthosefieldsnow?"
"Nobody—atthemoment.Therebeingnowillorheirs,thegovernmenthastakenchargeofoperatingthefields—asameasureofpublicnecessity—forsevenyears.IfEllisWyattdoesnotreturnwithinthattime,hewillbeconsideredofficiallydead."
"Well,whydidtheycometoyou—tous,forsuchanunlikelyassignmentasoilpumping?"
"Becauseitisaproblemofgreattechnologicaldifficulty,requiringtheservicesofthebestscientifictalentavailable.Yousee,itisamatterofreconstructingthespecialmethodofoilextractionthatWyatthademployed.Hisequipmentisstillthere,thoughinadreadfulcondition;someofhisprocessesareknown,butsomehowthereisnofullrecordofthecompleteoperationorthebasicprincipleinvolved.Thatiswhatwehavetorediscover."
"Andhowisitgoing?"
"Theprogressismostgratifying.Wehavejustbeengrantedanewandlargerappropriation.Mr.
