Атлант расправил плечи

           Thefurnacestoodabovethem,ablackbulkwrappedincoilsoftubesandsteam;sheseemedtopant,shootingredgaspsthathungontheairabovethemills—andtheyfoughtnottoletherbleedtodeath.

           Sparkshungabouttheirfeetandburstinsuddensheafsoutofthemetal,dyingunnoticedagainsttheirclothes,againsttheskinoftheirhands.Thestreamwascomingslower,inbrokenspurtsthroughthedamrisingbeyondtheirsight.

           IthappenedsofastthatReardenknewitfullyonlyafteritwasover.

           Heknewthatthereweretwomoments:thefirstwaswhenhesawtheviolentswingofFrancisco’sbodyinaforwardthrustthatsentthebullettocontinuethelineinspace,thenhesawthesudden,unrhythmicjerkbackwardthatdidnotsucceed,theconvulsivebeatingagainstaforwardpull,theextendedarmsofthesilhouettelosingitsbalance,hethoughtthataleapacrossthedistancebetweenthemontheslippery,crumblingridgewouldmeanthedeathofbothofthem—andthesecondmomentwaswhenhelandedatFrancisco’sside,heldhiminhisarms,hungswayingtogetherbetweenspaceandridge,overthewhitepit,thengainedhisfootingandpulledhimback,and,foraninstant,stillheldthelengthofFrancisco’sbodyagainstthelengthofhisown,ashewouldhaveheldthebodyofanonlyson.Hislove,histerror,hisreliefwereinasinglesentence:"Becareful,yougoddamnfool!"

           Franciscoreachedforachunkofclayandwenton.