Атлант расправил плечи
The Top and the Bottom
Inunspokenunderstanding,asifboundbyavowithadneverbeennecessarytotake,sheandEddieWillershadgiventhemselvestotherailroadfromthefirstconsciousdaysoftheirchildhood.
Shefeltaboredindifferencetowardtheimmediateworldaroundher,towardotherchildrenandadultsalike.Shetookitasaregrettableaccident,tobebornepatientlyforawhile,thatshehappenedtobeimprisonedamongpeoplewhoweredull.Shehadcaughtaglimpseofanotherworldandsheknewthatitexistedsomewhere,theworldthathadcreatedtrains,bridges,telegraphwiresandsignallightswinkinginthenight.Shehadtowait,shethought,andgrowuptothatworld.
Shenevertriedtoexplainwhyshelikedtherailroad.Whateveritwasthatothersfelt,sheknewthatthiswasoneemotionforwhichtheyhadnoequivalentandnoresponse.Shefeltthesameemotioninschool,inclassesofmathematics,theonlylessonssheliked.Shefelttheexcitementofsolvingproblems,theinsolentdelightoftakingupachallengeanddisposingofitwithouteffort,theeagernesstomeetanother,hardertest.Shefelt,atthesametime,agrowingrespectfortheadversary,forasciencethatwassoclean,sostrict,soluminouslyrational.Studyingmathematics,shefelt,quitesimplyandatonce:"Howgreatthatmenhavedonethis"and"HowwonderfulthatI’msogoodatit."Itwasthejoyofadmirationandofone’sownability,growingtogether.
