Атлант расправил плечи
The Sanction of the Victim
Buttoday,therewasaslate-grayskyinthewindowsofthecourtroom,whichpromisedthefirstsnowstormofalong,hardwinter;thelastofthecountry’soilwasvanishing,andthecoalmineswerenotabletokeepupwiththehystericalscrambleforwintersupplies.ThecrowdinthecourtroomrememberedthatthiswasthecasewhichhadcostthemtheservicesofKenDanagger.TherewererumorsthattheoutputoftheDanaggerCoalCompanyhadfallenperceptiblywithinonemonth;thenewspaperssaidthatitwasmerelyamatterofreadjustmentwhileDanagger’scousinwasreorganizingthecompanyhehadtakenover.Lastweek,thefrontpageshadcarriedthestoryofacatastropheonthesiteofahousingprojectunderconstruction:defectivesteelgirdershadcollapsed,killingfourworkmen;thenewspapershadnotmentioned,butthecrowdknew,thatthegirdershadcomefromOrrenBoyle’sAssociatedSteel.
Theysatinthecourtroominheavysilenceandtheylookedatthetall,grayfigure,notwithhope—theywerelosingthecapacitytohope—butwithanimpassiveneutralityspikedbyafaintquestionmark;thequestionmarkwasplacedoverallthepioussloganstheyhadheardforyears.
