Атлант расправил плечи
The Sanction of the Victim
Maybeyou’reavictiminthisparticularmess,maybethey’repullingarottentrickonyou,butwhatofit?They’redoingitbecausethey’reweak;theycouldn’tresistthetemptationtograbyourMetalandtomuscleinonyourprofits,becausetheyhadnootherwayofevergettingrich.Whyshouldyoublamethem?It’sonlyaquestionofdifferentstrains,butit’sthesameshoddyhumanfabricthatgiveswayjustasquickly.Youwouldn’tbetemptedbymoney,becauseit’ssoeasyforyoutomakeit.
Butyouwouldn’twithstandotherpressuresandyou’dfalljustasignominiously.Wouldn’tyou?Soyouhavenorighttoanyrighteousindignationagainstthem.Youhavenomoralsuperioritytoassertortodefend.Andifyouhaven’t,thenwhatisthepointoffightingabattlethatyoucan’twin?Isupposethatonemightfindsomesatisfactioninbeingamartyr,ifoneisabovereproach.Butyou—whoareyoutocastthefirststone?"
Shepausedtoobservetheeffect.Therewasnone,exceptthathislookofattentiveinterestseemedintensified;helistenedasifhewereheldbysomeimpersonal,scientificcuriosity.Itwasnottheresponseshehadexpected.
"Ibelieveyouunderstandme,"shesaid.
"No,"heansweredquietly,"Idon’t."
"Ithinkyoushouldabandontheillusionofyourownperfection,whichyouknowfullwelltobeanillusion.Ithinkyoushouldlearntogetalongwithotherpeople.Thedayoftheheroispast.
