Атлант расправил плечи
The Man who belonged on Earth
"Yes,MissTaggart,certainly,yes,indeed...Mondaymorning?
Yes—look,MissTaggart,IhaveanengagementinNewYorktoday,Icoulddropinatyourofficethisafternoon,ifyouwish...No,no—notroubleatall,I’llbedelighted...Thisafternoon,MissTaggart,abouttwo—Imean,aboutfouro’clock."
HehadnoengagementinNewYork.Hedidnotgivehimselftimetoknowwhathadpromptedhimtodoit.Hewassmilingeagerly,lookingatapatchofsunlightonadistanthill.
DagnydrewablacklineacrossTrainNumber93ontheschedule,andfeltamoment’sdesolatesatisfactioninnotingthatshediditcalmly.Itwasanactionwhichshehadhadtoperformmanytimesinthelastsixmonths.Ithadbeenhard,atfirst;itwasbecomingeasier.
Thedaywouldcome,shethought,whenshewouldbeabletodeliverthatdeathstrokeevenwithoutthesmallsaluteofaneffort.TrainNumber93wasafreightthathadearneditslivingbycarryingsuppliestoHammondsville,Colorado.
Sheknewwhatstepswouldcomenext:first,thedeathofthespecialfreights—thentheshrinkinginthenumberofboxcarsforHammondsville,attached,likepoorrelatives,totherearendoffreightsboundforothertowns—thenthegradualcuttingofthestopsatHammondsvilleStationfromtheschedulesofthepassengertrains—thenthedaywhenshewouldstrikeHammondsville,Colorado,offthemap.
