Атлант расправил плечи
The Top and the Bottom
"Materialgreedisn’teverything.Therearenon-materialidealstoconsider.""IconfesstoafeelingofshamewhenIthinkthatweownahugenetworkofrailways,whiletheMexicanpeoplehavenothingbutoneortwoinadequatelines.""Theoldtheoryofeconomicself-sufficiencyhasbeenexplodedlongago.Itisimpossibleforonecountrytoprosperinthemidstofastarvingworld."
ShethoughtthattomakeTaggartTranscontinentalwhatithadbeenonce,longbeforehertime,everyavailablerail,spikeanddollarwasneeded—andhowdesperatelylittleofitwasavailable.
Theyspokealso,atthesamesession,inthesamespeeches,abouttheefficiencyoftheMexicangovernmentthatheldcompletecontrolofeverything.Mexicohadagreatfuture,theysaid,andwouldbecomeadangerouscompetitorinafewyears."Mexico’sgotdiscipline,"themenoftheBoardkeptsaying,withanoteofenvyintheirvoices.
JamesTaggartletitbeunderstood—inunfinishedsentencesandundefinedhints—thathisfriendsinWashington,whomhenevernamed,wishedtoseearailroadlinebuiltinMexico,thatsuchalinewouldbeofgreathelpinmattersofinternationaldiplomacy,thatthegoodwillofthepublicopinionoftheworldwouldmorethanrepayTaggartTranscontinentalforitsinvestment.
TheyvotedtobuildtheSanSebastiánLineatacostofthirtymilliondollars.
WhenDagnylefttheBoardroomandwalkedthroughtheclean,coldairofthestreets,sheheardtwowordsrepeatedclearly,insistentlyinthenumbedemptinessofhermind:Getout...
