Атлант расправил плечи
The Man who belonged on Earth
Atthepresentrateofthemills’production,theapplicationsextendedwellintothenextcentury.
FivehundredtonsofReardenMetalcouldnotprovidethreemilesofrailforTaggartTranscontinental;itcouldnotprovidethebracingforoneofKenDanagger’scoalmines.Thelargestindustries,Rearden’sbestcustomers,weredeniedtheuseofhisMetal.ButgolfclubsmadeofReardenMetalweresuddenlyappearingonthemarket,aswellascoffeepots,gardentoolsandbathroomfaucets.KenDanagger,whohadseenthevalueoftheMetalandhaddaredtoorderitagainstafuryofpublicopinion,wasnotpermittedtoobtainit;hisorderhadbeenleftunfilled,cutoffwithoutwarningbythenewlaws.Mr.Mowen,whohadbetrayedTaggartTranscontinentalinitsmostdangeroushour,wasnowmakingswitchesofReardenMetalandsellingthemtotheAtlanticSouthern.Reardenlookedon,hisemotionspluggedout.
Heturnedaway,withoutaword,whenanybodymentionedtohimwhateverybodyknew:thequickfortunesthatwerebeingmadeonReardenMetal."Well,no,"peoplesaidindrawingrooms,"youmustn’tcallitablackmarket,becauseitisn’t,really.NobodyissellingtheMetalillegally.They’rejustsellingtheirrighttoit.Notsellingreally,justpoolingtheirshares.
