Атлант расправил плечи

           Youdidn’texpecthimtocomehere,youdidn’treallythinkthatheisafraidofyou,didyou?Buttohavetheothersthinkheis—that’squiteaninestimableadvantage,isn’tit?"

           "I’m...surprised,Lillian."

           "Shouldn’tyousay‘impressed’?Yourguestsarequiteimpressed.Icanpracticallyhearthemthinkingallovertheroom.Mostofthemarethinking:‘IfhehastoseektermswithJimTaggart,we’dbettertoetheline.’Andafewarethinking:‘Ifhe’safraid,we’llgetawaywithmuchmore.’Thisisasyouwantit,ofcourse—andIwouldn’tthinkofspoilingyourtriumph—butyouandIaretheonlyoneswhoknowthatyoudidn’tachieveitsingle-handed."

           Hedidnotsmile;heasked,hisfaceblank,hisvoicesmooth,butwithacarefullymeasuredhintofharshness,"What’syourangle?"

           Shelaughed."Essentially—thesameasyours,Jim.Butspeakingpractically—noneatall.It’sjustafavorI’vedoneyou,andIneednofavorinreturn.Don’tworry,I’mnotlobbyingforanyspecialinterests,I’mnotaftersqueezingsomeparticulardirectiveoutofMr.Mouch,I’mnotevenafteradiamondtiarafromyou.Unless,ofcourse,it’satiaraofanon-materialorder,suchasyourappreciation.