Атлант расправил плечи

           "TheNationalCouncilofMetalIndustries,"saidOrrenBoyle,"passedaresolutiontoappointacommitteetostudythequestionofReardenMetal,inasmuchasitsusemaybeanactualpublichazard."

           "Thatis,inmyopinion,wise,"saidWesleyMouch.

           "Wheneverybodyagrees,"Taggart’svoicesuddenlywentshrill,"whenpeopleareunanimous,howdoesonemandaretodissent?Bywhatright?That’swhatIwanttoknow—bywhatright?"

           Boyle’seyesdartedtoTaggart’sface,butthedimlightoftheroommadeitimpossibletoseefacesclearly:hesawonlyapale,bluishsmear.

           "Whenwethinkofthenaturalresources,atatimeofcriticalshortage,"Boylesaidsoftly,"whenwethinkofthecrucialrawmaterialsthatarebeingwastedonanirresponsibleprivateexperiment,whenwethinkoftheore..."

           Hedidnotfinish.HeglancedatTaggartagain.ButTaggartseemedtoknowthatBoylewaswaitingandtofindthesilenceenjoyable.

           "Thepublichasavitalstakeinnaturalresources,Jim,suchasironore.Thepubliccan’tremainindifferenttoreckless,selfishwastebyananti-socialindividual.Afterall,privatepropertyisatrusteeshipheldforthebenefitofsocietyasawhole."

           TaggartglancedatBoyleandsmiled;thesmilewaspointed,itseemedtosaythatsomethinginhiswordswasananswertosomethinginthewordsofBoyle."Theliquortheyservehereisswill.Isupposethat’sthepricewehavetopayfornotbeingcrowdedbyallkindsofrabble.ButIdowishthey’drecognizethatthey’redealingwithexperts.