Атлант расправил плечи
The Aristocracy of pull
youchosetheeasiest,mostviciousway...deliberatedestruction...thedestructionofanachievementyouhadn’tproducedandcouldn’tmatch..."
"That’snotwhatyou’llreadinthenewspaperstomorrow.Therewon’tbeanyevidenceofdeliberatedestruction.Everythinghappenedinthenormal,explicable,justifiablecourseofplainincompetence.Incompetenceisn’tsupposedtobepunishednowadays,isit?TheboysinBuenosAiresandtheboysinSantiagowillprobablywanttohandmeasubsidy,bywayofconsolationandreward.There’sstillagreatpartofthed’AnconiaCopperCompanyleft,thoughagreatpartofitisgoneforgood.NobodywillsaythatI’vedoneitintentionally.Youmaythinkwhatyouwish."
"Ithinkyou’retheguiltiestmaninthisroom,"saidReardenquietly,wearily;eventhefireofhisangerwasgone;hefeltnothingbuttheemptinessleftbythedeathofagreathope."Ithinkyou’reworsethananythingIhadsupposed..."
Franciscolookedathimwithastrangehalf-smileofserenity,theserenityofavictoryoverpain,anddidnotanswer.
Itwastheirsilencethatletthemhearthevoicesofthetwomenwhostoodafewstepsaway,andtheyturnedtolookatthespeakers.
Thestocky,elderlymanwasobviouslyabusinessmanoftheconscientious,unspectacularkind.
