Атлант расправил плечи

           Therehadbeenapatternaboutit,whichshefelt,butcouldnotdefine;shehadbecomeabletopredict,almostwithcertainty,whowouldgonextandwhen;shewasunabletograspthe"why?"

           OfthemenwhohadoncegreetedherdescentfromthecabofanengineontheplatformofWyattJunction,onlyTedNielsenwasleft,stillrunningtheplantofNielsenMotors."Ted,youwon’tbethenextonetogo?"shehadaskedhim,onhisrecentvisittoNewYork;shehadaskedit,tryingtosmile.Hehadansweredgrimly,"Ihopenot."

           "Whatdoyoumean,youhope?—aren’tyousure?"Hehadsaidslowly,heavily,"Dagny,I’vealwaysthoughtthatI’dratherdiethanstopworking.Butsodidthemenwho’regone.ItseemsimpossibletomethatIcouldeverwanttoquit.Butayearago,itseemedimpossiblethattheyevercould.Thosemenweremyfriends.Theyknewwhattheirgoingwoulddotous,thesurvivors.Theywouldnothavegonelikethat,withoutaword,leavingtoustheaddedterroroftheinexplicable—unlesstheyhadsomereasonofsupremeimportance.Amonthago,RogerMarsh,ofMarshElectric,toldmethathe’dhavehimselfchainedtohisdesk,sothathewouldn’tbeabletoleaveit,nomatterwhatghastlytemptationstruckhim.Hewasfuriouswithangeratthemenwho’dleft.Hesworetomethathe’dneverdoit.