Атлант расправил плечи
The Man who belonged on Earth
ThentheboysinWashingtongrantedsubsidiestotheoiloperators,butnotalloftheoiloperatorshadfriendsinWashington,andtherefollowedasituationwhichnoonecaredtoexaminetoocloselyortodiscuss.
AndrewStocktonhadbeeninthesortofpositionwhichmostofthebusinessmenenvied.Therushtoconverttocoalhaddescendeduponhisshoulderslikeaweightofgold:hehadkepthisplantworkingaroundtheclock,runningaracewithnextwinter’sblizzards,castingpartsforcoal-burningstovesandfurnaces.Therewerenotmanydependablefoundriesleft;hehadbecomeoneofthemainpillarssupportingthecellarsandkitchensofthecountry.Thepillarcollapsedwithoutwarning.AndrewStocktonannouncedthathewasretiring,closedhisplantandvanished.Heleftnowordonwhathewishedtobedonewiththeplantorwhetherhisrelativeshadtherighttoreopenit.
Therestillwerecarsontheroadsofthecountry,buttheymovedliketravelersinthedesert,whoridepastthewarningskeletonsofhorsesbleachedbythesun:theymovedpasttheskeletonsofcarsthathadcollapsedondutyandhadbeenleftintheditchesbythesideoftheroad.Peoplewerenotbuyingcarsanylonger,andtheautomobilefactorieswereclosing.Butthereweremenstillabletogetoil,bymeansoffriendshipsthatnobodycaredtoquestion.Thesemenboughtcarsatanypricedemanded.
