"Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rand Ayn)

interests of the whole country and give him all our trains?"
"Why, no. He doesnтАЩt expect anything. He just deals with the
Phoenix-Durango."
"I think heтАЩs a destructive, unscrupulous ruffian. I think heтАЩs an
irresponsible upstart whoтАЩs been grossly overrated." It was astonishing to
hear a sudden emotion in James TaggartтАЩs lifeless voice. "IтАЩm not so sure
that his oil fields are such a beneficial achievement. It seems to me that
heтАЩs dislocated the economy of the whole country. Nobody expected Colorado to
become an industrial state. How can we have any security or plan anything if
everything changes all the time?"
"Good God, Jim! HeтАЩs"
"Yes, I know, I know, heтАЩs making money. But that is not the standard, it
seems to me, by which one gauges a manтАЩs value to society. And as for his
oil, heтАЩd come crawling to us. and heтАЩd wait his turn along with all the
other shippers, and he wouldnтАЩt demand more than his fair share of
transportationif it werenтАЩt for the Phoenix-Durango. We canтАЩt help it if
weтАЩre up against destructive competition of that kind. Nobody can blame us."
The pressure in his chest and temples, thought Eddie Willers, was the strain
of the effort he was making; he had decided to make the issue clear for once,
and the issue was so clear, he thought, that nothing could bar it from
TaggartтАЩs understanding, unless it was the failure of his own presentation.
So he had tried hard, but he was failing, just as he had always failed in all
of their discussions; no matter what he said, they never seemed to be talking
about the same subject.
"Jim, what are you saying? Does it matter that nobody blames uswhen the road
is falling apart?"
James Taggart smiled; it was a thin smile, amused and cold. "ItтАЩs touching,
Eddie," he said. "ItтАЩs touchingyour devotion to Taggart Transcontinental. If
you dont look out, youll turn into one of those real feudal serfs."
"Thats what I am, Jim."
"But may I ask whether it is your job to discuss these matters with me?"
"No, it isnтАЩt."
"Then why donтАЩt you learn that we have departments to take care of things?
Why donтАЩt you report all this to whoeverтАЩs concerned? Why donтАЩt you cry on my
dear sisterтАЩs shoulder?"
"Look. Jim, I know itтАЩs not my place to talk to you. But I canтАЩt understand
whatтАЩs going on. I donтАЩt know what it is that your proper advisers tell you,
or why they canтАЩt make you understand. So I thought IтАЩd try to tell you
myself."
"I appreciate our childhood friendship, Eddie, but do you think that that
should entitle you to walk in here unannounced whenever you wish? Considering
your own rank, shouldnтАЩt you remember that I am president of Taggart
Transcontinental?"
This was wasted. Eddie Willers looked at him as usual, not hurt, merely
puzzled, and asked, "Then you donтАЩt intend to do anything about the Rio Norte
Line?"
"I havenтАЩt said that. I havenтАЩt said that at all." Taggart was looking at the
map, at the red streak south of El Paso. "Just as soon as the San Sebastian
Mines get going and our Mexican branch begins to pay off"
"DonтАЩt letтАЩs talk about that, Jim." Taggart turned, startled by the