Атлант расправил плечи

           TheownerofacoppermineinArizona,whoreportedtousthatyouhadpurchasedanextraamountofcopperlastmonth,abovetheregulartonnagerequiredforthemonthlyquotaofReardenMetalwhichthelawpermitsyoutoproduce.CopperisoneoftheingredientsofReardenMetal,isn’tit?Thatwasalltheinformationweneeded.Therestwaseasytotrace.Youmustn’tblamethatmineownertoomuch.Thecopperproducers,asyouknow,arebeingsqueezedsobadlyrightnowthatthemanhadtooffersomethingofvalueinordertoobtainafavor,an‘emergencyneed’rulingwhichsuspendedafewofthedirectivesinhiscaseandgavehimalittlebreathingspell.Thepersontowhomhetradedhisinformationknewwhereitwouldhavethehighestvalue,sohetradedittome,inreturnforcertainfavorsheneeded.Soallthenecessaryevidence,aswellasthenexttenyearsofyourlife,arenowinmypossession—andIamofferingyouatrade.I’msureyouwon’tobject,sincetradeisyourspecialty.Theformmaybealittledifferentfromwhatitwasinyouryouth—butyou’reasmarttrader,you’vealwaysknownhowtotakeadvantageofchangingconditions,andthesearetheconditionsofourday,soitshouldnotbedifficultforyoutoseewhereyourinterestslieandtoactaccordingly."

           Reardensaidcalmly,"Inmyyouth,thiswascalledblackmail."

           Dr.Ferrisgrinned."That’swhatitis,Mr.Rearden.We’veenteredamuchmorerealisticage.