Атлант расправил плечи
The Aristocracy of pull
Butshefeltasiftheirrelationshipwasanimmensedebtandshehadnothingtopayitwith,excepthersilentworship.Hedidnotneedherworship,shethought.
Therewereeveningswhenhecametotakeherout,butremainedinherroom,instead,andtalkedtoher,whileshelistenedinsilence.Italwayshappenedunexpectedly,withakindofpeculiarabruptness,asifhehadnotintendeddoingit,butsomethingburstwithinhimandhehadtospeak.Thenhesatslumpedonherbed,unawareofhissurroundingsandofherpresence,yethiseyesjerkedtoherfaceonceinawhile,asifhehadtobecertainthatalivingbeingheardhim.
"...itwasn’tformyself,itwasn’tformyselfatall—whywon’ttheybelieveme,thosepeople?Ihadtogranttheunions’demandstocutdownthetrains—andthemoratoriumonbondswastheonlywayIcoulddoit,sothat’swhyWesleygaveittome,fortheworkers,notformyself.AllthenewspaperssaidthatIwasagreatexampleforallbusinessmentofollow—abusinessmanwithasenseofsocialresponsibility.That’swhattheysaid.It’strue,isn’tit?...Isn’tit?...
Whatwaswrongaboutthatmoratorium?Whatifwedidskipafewtechnicalities?Itwasforagoodpurpose.Everyoneagreesthatanythingyoudoisgood,solongasit’snotforyourself...Butshewon’tgivemecreditforagoodpurpose.Shedoesn’tthinkanybody’sanygoodexceptherself.Mysisterisaruthless,conceitedbitch,whowon’ttakeanyone’sideasbutherown...
