Атлант расправил плечи
The Aristocracy of pull
"What’sthematter?"heaskedinthemidstoftheirsilence."DidIsaysomethingthatsomebodyheredidn’tknow?"
"Howdidyougethere?"wasthefirstthingJamesTaggartfoundhimselfabletoutter.
"ByplanetoNewark,bytaxifromthere,thenbyelevatorfrommysuitefifty-threefloorsaboveyou."
"Ididn’tmean...thatis,whatImeantwas—"
"Don’tlooksostartled,James.IfIlandinNewYorkandhearthatthere’sapartygoingon,Iwouldn’tmissit,wouldI?You’vealwayssaidthatI’mjustapartyhound."
Thegroupwaswatchingthem.
"I’mdelightedtoseeyou,ofcourse,"Taggartsaidcautiously,thenaddedbelligerently,tobalanceit,"Butifyouthinkyou’regoingto—"
Franciscowouldnotpickupthethreat;heletTaggart’ssentenceslideintomid-airandstop,thenaskedpolitely,"IfIthinkwhat?"
"Youunderstandmeverywell."
"Yes.Ido.ShallItellyouwhatIthink?"
"Thisishardlythemomentforany—"
"Ithinkyoushouldpresentmetoyourbride,James.Yourmannershaveneverbeengluedtoyoutoosolidly—youalwayslosetheminanemergency,andthat’sthetimewhenoneneedsthemmost."
TurningtoescorthimtowardCherryl,TaggartcaughtthefaintsoundthatcamefromBertramScudder;itwasanunbornchuckle.
