Атлант расправил плечи
The Aristocracy of pull
ThosepeopleinWashingtondon’tseemtohaveaclearpictureofwhatthatwouldbelike.Ihave."Reardenhadsaid,"I’lldelivertheMetal.Whenyouneedtheotherhalfofyourorder,letmeknow.I’lldeliverthat,too."
Attheendofthedinner,Danaggerhadsaidinthesameprecise,impassivetone,thetoneofamanwhoknowstheexactmeaningofhiswords,"Ifanyemployeeofyoursorminediscoversthisandattemptsprivateblackmail,Iwillpayit,withinreason.ButIwillnotpay,ifhehasfriendsinWashington.Ifanyofthosecomearound,thenIgotojail.""Thenwegotogether,"Reardenhadsaid.
Standingaloneinhishalf-darkenedroom,Reardennotedthattheprospectofgoingtojaillefthimblanklyindifferent.Herememberedthetimewhen,agedfourteen,faintwithhunger,hewouldnotstealfruitfromasidewalkstand.Now,thepossibilityofbeingsenttojail—ifthisdinnerwasafelony—meantnomoretohimthanthepossibilityofbeingrunoverbyatruck:anuglyphysicalaccidentwithoutanymoralsignificance.
Hethoughtthathehadbeenmadetohide,asaguiltysecret,theonlybusinesstransactionhehadenjoyedinayear’swork—andthathewashiding,asaguiltysecret,hisnightswithDagny,theonlyhoursthatkepthimalive.Hefeltthattherewassomeconnectionbetweenthetwosecrets,someessentialconnectionwhichhehadtodiscover.
