Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Brothers and sisters

On the morning of Sept. 2, a copper cable between two utility poles snapped at Taggart's California Pacific Railroad trackside. A drizzle had been falling slowly since midnight, and there had been no sunrise, only a pale gleam of light through the misty sky—among the gray clouds, the leaden sea, and the On the desolate hillside, between the steel skeletons of oil tower cranes hanging down alone, the crystal raindrops hanging on the wires became the only light.Under the wear and tear of the rain and the years, the wires have long passed their normal service life; one of them was really unbearable under the load of this morning's rain, and hung down in a bend; the last drop of rain intensified the drooping arc of the wire, and it was like a A crystal bead condensed with countless extra loads was suspended on it; the wire finally snapped, and the bead and the wire were released at the same time as silently as tears, and the water drops on its body fell to the ground.

After the damage to the phone line was discovered and reported, people at Taggart's regional headquarters turned away from each other.They said random things that seemed to be related to the accident. These words were not only useless, but also unable to deceive others.They know that copper cables are dwindling and rarer than gold and honesty; they know that the district director sold their inventory of copper cables a few weeks ago to some merchants whom no one knew, who during the day They don't do business, but come at night, just because they have connections in San Clemento and Washington—the person who was recently appointed as the director also because he knows a guy named Cuffy in New York?The people of Mags, everyone is silent about this person.They know that whoever now takes the initiative to order repairs will find that the repairs cannot be carried out at all, which will lead to revenge from hidden opponents, and his colleagues will remain mysteriously silent and will not speak for him, and he will do whatever Neither proved that if he tried to do his best job, he would lose that job forever.At this time when the sinner is free and the whistle-blower has been punished, they cannot tell what is dangerous from what is safe; they know, like animals, that in times of doubt and danger it is safe to remain still.So, they stayed put; they talked about the proper steps to take the report to the responsible boss at the right time.

A young road chief walked out of the room and the headquarters building, and came to the telephone booth of an unknown pharmacy. Regardless of his personal safety, regardless of the long distance in the middle and the layers of superiors, he dialed Dag Annie Taggart on the phone in New York. She was in his brother's office, interrupting an urgent meeting to take the call.The young section chief just told her that the phone line was down and there was no copper cable to fix it; he didn't say anything else, and he didn't explain why he had to call her himself.She didn't ask him; she knew it, and just said "Thank you."

In her office was a contingency file that recorded all of Taggart's stockpiles of vital supplies in every region, like a bankruptcy filing, recording all losses, and a rare replenishment of new equipment that looked like A crumb of bread that some one who delights in torment throws to a starving continent amidst a vicious laugh.She went over the file, closed it, and said with a sigh, "Eddie, call the Montana Railroad and have them ship half of the copper cable to California. Apart from that, maybe Montana is the only place to go." For a week." Eddie Wheelers was about to protest when she added, "It's oil, Eddie, California is the only region in the country that produces oil. We can't lose the Pacific Railroad." And then , she was back in the middle of a meeting in her brother's office.

"Copper cables?" said James Taggart, looking out of her face at the city with a strange look. "It won't be long before we don't have to worry about copper anymore." "Why?" she asked, but he didn't answer.Outside the window was as usual, under the clear sky, the afternoon sun shone warmly on the roofs of the city, and the calendar above the roofs showed that it was September 2nd. She didn't know why he had to have this meeting in his own office and uncharacteristically insisted on talking to her alone, or why he only glanced at his watch now and then.

"It seems to me that the situation is very wrong," he said. "Something has to be done. It looks disjointed and chaotic. It is losing coordination and balance. I mean, the whole country's demand for transportation The demand is huge, and yet we're losing money. In my opinion—” She sat looking at the Taggart heirloom map that hung on the wall of his office, at the red roads that snaked through the khaki earth.The railway was once called the blood of the country, and the endless stream of trains used to be like fresh blood, bringing prosperity and wealth to the barren places it passed through.Now, although it is still like a stream of blood, it is like the blood in a wound, just flowing outward, taking away all the vitality and life of the body.A one-way line—she thought idly—a one-way line that just consumes.

She remembered train 193.Six weeks ago, when train 193 departed laden with steel, it did not end at the best remaining Spencer machine tool plant in the country, in Folketon, Nebraska, which had been closed for two On Sunday, I was looking forward to the shipment of these raw materials—but instead sailed to Shaxi, Illinois, where the Union Machine Tool Factory had been in debt for more than a year because of poor product quality and difficulty in ensuring delivery.It was an order that authorized the allocation of this batch of steel. The order explained that the Spencer Machine Tool Factory had strong financial resources and could wait a little longer, while the Union Machine Tool Factory, the only source of life in Shaxi City, Illinois, had gone bankrupt and could not wait. Watch it fall.Spencer Machine Tool Works finally closed a month ago, and Union Machine Tool Works a fortnight later.

The people of Sand Creek, Illinois, are on the national relief list, but in this time of madness, the country's grain bank is empty, and there is no food that can help them-so Nebraska farmers use The sown grain was forcibly confiscated by an order of the joint council——Train No. 194 transported the unsown grain and Nebraska people's hope for the future to Illinois, where the people there would eat it up. "In this progressive age," Eugene Lawson said in a radio address, "we finally realize that we are brothers." "In the present state of turbulent emergency," said James Taggart, as she looked at the map, "it would obviously be dangerous to be forced to default on wages in some of our districts, which, of course, are only temporary, but— —”

She sneered, "Jim, is it because the joint railway plan doesn't work?" "What did you say?" "You were going to get a good chunk of the South Atlantic out of the reserves at the end of the year—and now there's nothing in the reserves, is there?" "It's not like that! It's just because the people at the bank have blocked the plan. Those bastards - when they used to lend us money, it was enough to have our railroad guarantees - now I can put all the railroads in my country They all pledged it to them, but they didn’t even approve a short-term loan of hundreds of thousands for salary!”

She sneered. "There's nothing we can do!" he yelled. "It's not the program's fault that some people don't want to share some of the legitimate pressure for us!" "Jim, is that all you want to tell me? If so, I have to go. I have work to do." His eyes flicked to his watch. "No, no, I'm not done yet! The most important thing is that we discuss the situation and come up with some decisions about—" Again, he?After a lot of nonsense, she listened expressionlessly, unable to figure out what kind of medicine he was selling in the gourd.He was waiting for time, but not quite; she could tell that he must have had other reasons for keeping her here, but at the same time, he was only here to keep her here.

Since Shirley's death, she noticed some new changes in him.After Shirley's body was found, the newspaper published a personal description of a community worker who witnessed her suicide. Without any motive, call it "mysterious suicide." "It wasn't my fault!" he yelled at her, as if she was the only judge who needed his explanation. "Don't blame me for this! Don't blame me!" He was so frightened that he shivered all over, but she still saw some sly eyes cast on her face, which seemed to have an unimaginably smug expression. "Jim, get out of here." That was all she could say to him at the time. He never mentioned Shirley to her again, but he came to her office more often than usual.In the building, he would stop her for a few small talk-a confluence of similar situations that she found incomprehensible: as if he was clinging to her and trying to protect her out of some inexplicable fear. At the same time, the arm slipped quietly to her back and stabbed her. "I really want to know your opinion," she had already looked away, but he still said unwillingly, "The most important thing is that we need to discuss the situation, but...but you haven't said anything yet." She still didn't move. "It's not that there's no oil on the railroads anymore, it's just—" She stared at him sternly; he hastily averted his eyes. "I mean, something constructive has to be done," he said hastily, muffled, "someone has to... do something, and at this critical moment—" She knew what he was avoiding, and knew that he was hinting at her, but she didn't want her to pick it up and talk about it.She knew that the punctuality of the trains could no longer be guaranteed, the promises were no longer valid, the contracts were like waste paper, and ordinary trains would be canceled at any time, and then they would be forcibly called up as emergency trains and sent to unexpected places without any explanation. ——And this order comes from Kufi, who has the sole authority to decide on emergencies and public welfare?maggs.She knew that factories were closing down one after another, some because the machinery and equipment could not get raw materials, others because the warehouses were filled with undelivered goods.She knows that those companies with a long history that have grown through persistent efforts may perish at any time, and their fate is no longer within her expectations and control.She knew that the oldest and most capable of them had long since disappeared—those companies still clinging to the ideas of the bygone era, still struggling to produce, were adding one line to their contracts. Words that T Taggart's descendants are ashamed of: "With permission to transport." Yet she knew that there were still people who could get the transport they needed whenever they needed, by secrets that were shady, by powers that no one could question or explain.People think they and Kufi?The transactions between Mags were so mysterious that no one else could take a look even if they wanted to, so people closed their eyes, because knowing is more terrifying than not knowing.She knew that those people made these transactions by relying on the so-called "transportation relationship".Everyone knew what was going on, but no one dared to say it clearly.She knew that the emergency train was for these people. They could cancel the train she had planned, and then send the train to any place with that evil seal in their hand.This seal advertises that the salvation of a place is completely in compliance with the "public interest", which has surpassed all contracts, property, laws, morality and the status of life.These were the same people who sent the train to the rescue of the Smasher brothers' grapefruit business in Arizona - to the rescue of a Florida factory that made pinball machines - to the rescue of a Kentucky horse ranch - to the rescue of Warren Burr Combined Iron Works in Iller. It was these people who made a deal with the factory owners who were eager to transport the goods backlogged in the warehouse. Hop on a train that pops up out of nowhere and be whisked away to their gang of businessmen who are ready to make a fortune.Someone stood guard near the factory, pounced on the machinery and equipment as soon as the blast furnace took its last breath—someone was coveting beside the deserted transportation line, ready to pounce on the truck that failed to deliver—they were newcomers A businessman who comes and runs away after work, only does one-shot business, no need to worry about paying wages, no pressure, no fixed office space and installation of any equipment, the only property and investment is the so-called "friendship" .Officially described as "progressive businessmen in our dynamic age," these people are called "connection peddlers"—and they come in all varieties, from "transportation connections" to There are "steel ties", there are "oil ties", there are "salary ties" and "probation ties" - they do have energy, they run up and down the country when no one else can move, and they have empty heads , working hard and being active, different from the activeness of animals, their activeness is manifested in the fact that after the corpse stops moving, they will swarm up and feed on it. She knew there was money to be made in the railroad industry, and who was taking it.As long as you can't be found, Kufi?Mags would take every opportunity to sell the trains as he sold railroad supplies—he sold rails to the tram companies in Guatemala and Canada, wire to music box factories, sleepers to A hotel that needs firewood. Looking at the map, she thought to herself, whether these corpse eaters are just greedy for themselves, or they can get a share of the pie for their fellows, they are all maggots, what difference does it make?As long as the living flesh is the prey to be devoured, does it matter whose belly it goes into?It is no longer clear which of these disasters are caused by philanthropists and which are the hands of hidden robbers; it is not clear which actions are driven by Lawson's philanthropic desire and which are driven by Kufi?Induced by Mags' greed - it's hard to tell which region sacrificed itself for other regions on the brink of famine, and where it was paying tribute to those relationship mongers.Is there a difference?The starting point and effect of the two are exactly the same, both are because of need, and need has been regarded as the only title to possess property; both are acting strictly according to the same moral standard, and both believe that human sacrifice is justified, and They are all causing human sacrifices.Can't even tell who's the cannibal and who's the victim - the places where food and clothing were confiscated thinking they were supposed to feed the cities to the east only to find out the next week that their rations were being used to feed the west - —People have reached the highest state they have pursued for thousands of years, and they have carried it out extremely thoroughly without any resistance.They regard needs as the highest standard, as the first requirement, as their value standard and the wealth in their world, and regard it as more sacred than justice and life.People are pushed into the pit, while clamoring to help each other, everyone is frantically devouring the people around them, and at the same time being cannibalized by other people's accomplices, when they claim that they eat for nothing, people are justified Yes, but they don't know who is attacking them behind their backs. People are killing each other, and at the same time they clamor in panic that the earth is being destroyed by invisible demons. "What else are they complaining about now?" Hugh Axton's voice sounded in her heart, "Are they still blaming the universe for being unreasonable?" She sat there, looking at the map with calm and solemn eyes, as if seeing the powerful power of logic, she would never allow any emotional coloring.On this dying land, she saw all the ideas believed to be carried out with exactness.They knew that this was not what they wanted, and what they were able to achieve was not hope, but deception—but they had fulfilled their bloody wish without compromise. What are these needy and compassionate people thinking now?She couldn't help but wonder.What are they counting on?Those people once said with a smirk: "I don't want to destroy the rich, I just want to help the poor with a little of what they have left over. Just a little bit won't hurt even a single hair of their hair!" ——They Then there is a cry: "Those tycoons can stand the squeeze; their accumulation is enough for three generations to live"—and then another cry, "Why are the people suffering when the merchants have a year's savings?" —At this time, they are screaming: "Why does anyone have savings that can last a week when we are starving?" What do they want to do?She was puzzled. "You must act!" cried James Taggart. She turned her face to him quickly, "Me?" "This is your job, your duty, your obligation!" "What is it?" "It's action, it's doing things." "Doing—doing what?" "How do I know? That's your specialty, you're in charge." She glanced at him: this sentence sounds so awkward now, and so out of tune.She stood up. "Is that all, Jim?" "No! No! I want to talk to you!" "Let's talk." "But you haven't said anything yet!" "You too." "But... I mean, there are very real problems that need to be solved... Like, how come that new batch of rails that we have in the Pittsburgh warehouse is missing?" "Cuffy? Mags stole it and sold it." "Do you have proof?" he argued loudly. "When did your friends leave any handles and traces?" "Then don't talk about this, don't talk about these useless things, we must tell the truth! We must face the facts in front of us...I mean, under the current situation, we must talk about reality and find a realistic way To secure our supplies, instead of guessing—" She sneered.His ugly face finally exposed, she thought, this is what he really wants to do: does he want her in Kufi?He protects himself in front of Mags, but at the same time does not mention Mags, neither acknowledges its existence, but also fights against it, and defeats it without disturbing the overall situation. "What's so funny about that to you?" he exclaimed, exasperated. "You understand in your heart." "I don't understand what's wrong with you! I don't understand what's going on with you...since you came back...in the past two months...you've never been so uncooperative!" "What's the matter, Jim, I have never argued with you in the past two months." "That's what I'm talking about!" He still noticed the smile on her face in a hurry, "I mean, I want to have a meeting to get your opinion on the situation—" "You know this as well." "But you haven't even said a word yet!" "I said everything I had to say three years ago. I told you what would happen if it went on like this, and now it does." "Okay, you're doing it again! What's the use of reasoning? We are now, not three years ago. What we have to deal with is the present, not the past. If we had listened to your opinion , the situation may be different, but the fact is that we are not listening - and we have to face reality. We have to accept the reality of the situation at this moment!" "Okay, then accept it." "What did you say?" "Accept your reality, I will just follow your orders." "This is so unfair! I'm asking for your opinion—" "You want reassurance, Jim, and you can't get that." "what are you saying?" "I'm not going to argue with you so that you can pretend you don't see the reality you're talking about and think there's still a way out of it, and I've run out of options." "Okay..." There was no outburst, no rage—just the weak, wavering voice of someone who was about to give up, "Okay... what do you want me to do?" "Give up." He looked at her blankly. "You and your fellows in Washington, your planners of plunder, and your whole theory of cannibalism, give up. Give up all that, and step aside, and let us able men start afresh on the ruins." start." "No!" At last the seizure began, strangely; the howl of a man who would rather die than change his mind, from a man who had spent his whole life avoiding every thought like a criminal.She didn't know if she had ever figured out the nature of the criminal, she didn't know what could make a person so determined to oppose any idea. "No!" he yelled, his voice sank, more piercing, and closer to normal, from the almost collapsed madness to the tone of the big boss, "That's impossible! Don't even think about it!" "Who said this?" "Okay, okay! That's the way it is! Why are you so whimsical? Why can't you just accept reality and figure something out? You're a practical guy, you work, you're with Nate Tugg You are a special actor and creator who can do anything you want! If you really want to do it, you can definitely find a way to save us!" She couldn't help sneering. This is the real purpose hidden under the rhetoric that businessmen have been too lazy to pay attention to for many years. Those vague definitions, clumsy empty words, and vague theories are all clamoring to obey the reality like the state, the bureaucratic authority. As inviolable as the laws of nature, the starving people must be completely freed from their dependence on food and clothing. One day, will a realist like Nate Taggart be asked to take Kuffy?Mags' will to be considered as an unalterable fact like steel, orbit, and gravity, to accept an objective and unalterable reality that Mags has created - and then continue to create wealth in that world.For the liars in the study and the classroom, who take what they see for truth, their so-called intuition for science, and their cravings for knowledge, and then sell them, this is their real truth. the goal of.This is the real purpose of all those worldly little people who deviate from objectivity, have no clear position, are ambiguous, and avoid reality. , and regarded it only as a natural phenomenon, he seized the farmer with his hands, shackled him, took away his implements, seeds, water, and land, and pushed him onto a barren stone field, ordering He said: "Now, grow the food for us to eat!" No--she thought Jim might ask--it would be no use explaining why she laughed, he couldn't possibly understand. But instead of asking, he drooped and said something that frightened her--if he really didn't understand, then the words he said were utterly useless; if he did, they were downright vicious-- "Dagny, I'm your brother..." Her whole body was tense, her muscles tensed, as if she was about to face the murderer's gun. "Dagny"—his limp, nasally dead voice sounded like a beggar's pleading—"I want to be president of a railroad company, I do. Why do you always get it, But why can't I? Why do my wishes always come true, but yours always come true? Why should you be happy, but I should be sad? Oh, yes, the world is yours, only you You can play with it if you have a brain, so why do you allow suffering to exist in your world? You keep saying that you are pursuing happiness, but you make me burnt out. Don't I have the right to ask for what I want? Happiness? Don't you owe me that? Am I not your brother?" His eyes searched her face like the light of a thief's flashlight for signs of sympathy, but found nothing but intense disgust. "If I go to suffer, then you are the one who is guilty! You cannot justify morally! I am your brother, you should be responsible for me, but you have not satisfied me, so you are guilty! For thousands of years , all the spiritual leaders of human beings say this-what qualifications do you have to sing the opposite? You are too self-righteous, and you think you are a good person-as long as I am unlucky, you will never be better, my misery is your sin , my contentment is your virtue. I just want a world like today, where I can speak and feel like I'm a human being - make it all right for me! - just do it Get something!—how do I know what to do?—it's your problem, your responsibility! You're the one with the guts, but I—I'm weak! It's absolutely right in conscience Don't you understand? Don't you understand? Don't you understand?" At this moment, his gaze was like a hand grasping the edge of an abyss, frantically trying to grasp any plausible crack, but in the end it slipped down from her clear, rock-like face. "You villain." There was absolutely no emotion in her tone, because she didn't mean to say this to anyone. She seemed to see that he had fallen into the abyss, though his face showed only the expression of a con man who had miscalculated. She thought she hated him no differently than usual; Taking advantage of the topic, Jim was so shameless that he was talking about himself.She wondered whether people would accept this theory of sacrifice until they had figured out the action they required. She got up to leave. "Don't! Don't! Wait!" He stood up suddenly, glanced at his watch, and yelled, "It's time! I want you to hear a special news broadcast!" She stood still curiously. He turned on the radio and watched her expression intently, even a little disrespectfully, with a trace of fear and weird anticipation in his eyes. "Ladies and gentlemen!" a voice burst out from the radio; panic mingled with it. "We just got amazing news from Santiago, Chile!" She noticed Taggart's head twitch, and the sudden anxiety flashed between the blankly furrowed brows; it seemed that the words and the voice were unexpected. "At ten o'clock this morning, Chile, Argentina, and other South American countries held a special session of parliament. At the initiative of the new head of state of Chile, Mr. The nationalization of the company's assets in Chile opened the way for Argentina to nationalize the company's assets elsewhere in the world. However, only a handful of senior leaders in both countries knew about this before The secrecy with which the measure was kept to avoid controversy and resulting protests made the expropriation of d'Anconia, worth hundreds of millions, an unexpected gift from the head of state to the nation. "At the moment when the bell struck ten o'clock, as the small gavel in the hand of the chairman of the parliament knocked on the podium, announcing the opening of the meeting-as if ignited by this hammer, a shocking explosion shook the hall of the parliament , the glass in the hall was also shattered. The explosion came from the port only a few streets away-the MPs rushed to the windows and found a high-rise explosion at the ore terminal of the D'Anconia Company they were familiar with. Flame. The ore dock has been blown to ashes. "The chairman of the assembly restrained panic and kept everyone calm. Amidst fire sirens and distant shouts, the decree of nationalization was announced to all the participants. The weather was gloomy and cloudy this morning. The explosion destroyed the Power Transmission System——The parliament held a vote by candlelight, and the high roof of the parliament hall was still flickering with red flames during the vote. "What happened next was even more shocking. The MPs hurriedly adjourned to announce to the nation the good news that d'Anconia had gone to the people. While they were voting, the news was coming in from all corners of the world , the d'Anconia Corporation has disappeared from the face of the earth. Ladies and gentlemen, it has disappeared completely. The moment the clock struck ten o'clock, as if under the unified command of a devil, from From Chile to Siam, from Spain to Pottsville, Montana, D'Anconia strongholds around the world were leveled in the explosion. "Employees of D'Anconia received their last salary in cash at nine o'clock in the morning, and were dismissed from the company's premises at half past nine. The ore docks, furnaces, laboratories, office buildings, etc. were all It was destroyed, and there was nothing in the D'Anconia company's ship in the port-the crew who went out to sea went to lifeboats. As for the D'Anconia company's copper mine, part of it has been buried by the blown rocks, and the other part is buried. It is no longer even worth bombing. According to the reports received now, many of these mines have been mined for many years, but they are still in operation. "With regard to the planning, organization and execution of such a large-scale operation, the police could not find a single person who knew about the thousands of employees of D'Anconia. However, among the employees of D'Anconia, Gone is the backbone. Gone are the ablest top managers, foundry specialists, engineers, and executives—all of whom the country depends on in its adjustment. The most capable—should be corrected: the most selfish The group of people who were there were gone. From the reports obtained by the various banks, it can be seen that there is nothing in d'Anconia's account: the money has been spent. "Ladies and gentlemen, the fortune of d'Anconia - the greatest fortune on earth, legendary for centuries - is gone. At the dawn of a new age, leave To Chile and Argentina was a heap of ruins and hordes of the unemployed. "Mr. Francisco d'Anconia's whereabouts are still unknown. He has disappeared, leaving nothing behind, not even a word or a farewell." My dear, I thank you—even if you can't hear it, and you don't want to hear it, I still want to thank you in the name of the last of us... This is not a sentence, but what she said in her heart A silent blessing from the smiling face of a boy she had known since she was sixteen. She found that she was leaning against the radio, as if even the weak current flowing from it was closely connected with the remaining life force on this earth, spreading it out in a few short moments-at this time it was Fills this lifeless room. She heard a moan and howl from Jim as if coming from the ruins of a distant explosion—then she saw Jim's shoulders resting on the phone trembling, screaming at the top of his lungs, "But , Rodrigo, you said it would be safe! Rodrigo—oh, my God!—do you have any idea how much this is killing me?”—then another copy of the The phone rang hastily, and he yelled into the other receiver while clutching the first receiver, "Shut up, Warren! What do you say? I don't care. You go to hell!" Someone ran into the office, and the phone rang one after another. Jim, begging and cursing, kept shouting into a microphone, "Pick me up for San Diego! . . . Let Washington put me up for San Diego!" From a distance, she seemed to stand on the edge of her mind, seeing what kind of game those people beside the screaming phone were playing and losing. They seemed as far away as little black spots wriggling under a microscope.What she didn't understand was that when there was a person like Francisco d'Anconia on the earth, they still wanted to compete in a whimsical way. During the day, everyone she saw had the afterglow of the explosion on their faces.She thought that if Francisco wanted to find a decent pyre for the d'Anconia cremation, he would not be disappointed.It was in the streets of New York City, the only place in the world that understood its power—in people's faces, in their whispers, their voices crackling like little tongues of flame, lining出脸上沉重而又发疯一般的神情，那神情在远方的火焰映照下，显出摇摆不定的阴影，有些是害怕，有些是恼怒，大多数则是不安、迷惑而观望的样子。他们都承认，这场灾难已经超出了行业的范畴，虽然嘴上不说，但心里都明白这意味着什么，这些死期将至的人们脸上带着宽慰自己而又愤愤不平的苦笑，他们知道是被报复了。 晚上和里尔登一起吃晚饭的时候，她从他的神情中也能看出事件的影响。在这家装潢得富丽考究的餐馆里，只有他那高大自信的身躯才显得轻松而自在。他向她走过来时，她发现他那张严肃的脸依旧像站在魔术师面前的小孩一样，流露出不自觉的期盼。他并没有去提今天发生的这件事，但她知道，此时他心里想的全都是这个。 只要他进城来，他们就会难得地在一起聚上一会儿——过去的那一段在他们沉默的内心之中依旧历历在目——他们都清楚，他们目前所做的一切和共同的挣扎已经是前途渺茫，只是像战友一样用对方的存在来支撑着自己。 他不想去提今天发生的事情，不想提起弗兰西斯科，但她留意到，在他深陷的颧骨下，总会克制不住地浮现出笑容。当他突然带着低沉而温和的声音、充满敬意地开口时，她明白他说的是谁，“他还真是信守承诺啊，对吧？” “他承诺过什么吗？” “他对我说过，'我以我爱的女人的名义发誓，我是你的朋友。'他的确是。” "indeed so." 他摇了摇头，“我不配去想他，不配接受他为了保护我所做的一切，不过……”他止住了口。 “可它就是这样的，汉克，它就是在保护我们大家——特别是你。” 他眼睛一闪，向外望去。他们坐在靠墙的地方，一扇玻璃犹如看不见的屏障，把他们和外面，以及在六十层之下的街道隔开。都市平平地躺在最底层，看上去异常的遥远。几条街之外，高楼的塔尖溶进夜色里，那幅日历此时与他们的视线平行，不再像一个讨厌的小方块，而是犹如一幅巨大的屏幕，怪诞而近距离地立在他们眼前，惨白的灯光透过屏幕，上面只有九月二日几个字。 “里尔登钢铁公司现在正满负荷生产，”他淡淡地说着，“他们取消了对我工厂产量的限制——估计这也是暂时的，我已经记不清他们取消过多少个他们自己的规定，这一点我看他们也不知道，他们已经懒得去管什么合法不合法了，我敢肯定他们自己至少违犯了五六条法令，可没人能说得清楚——我只知道现在的这帮坏家伙们是让我开足马力。”他耸了耸肩膀，“一旦明天换成了另一个坏蛋，也许我就会因为非法经营而被勒令停产。不过，根据目前的这个谁也说不准的计划，他们是在不惜一切代价地求我无论如何也要把我的合金继续生产下去。” 她注意到人们正偷偷地向他们这个方向望着。自从她发表了广播讲话，他们俩开始一起在公共场合露面后，她就注意到了这一点。人们的言行里并没有表示出他曾担心过的不耻，而是流露出一种敬畏的犹疑——他们不敢确定自己的道德观，看到他们两个如此地坚信自己，便感到敬畏。人们在望向他们时，神情中带有急切的好奇，带有羡慕和尊敬，唯恐会冒犯一种自己从不知道的、极其严格的规矩，有的人甚至会怀着歉意，似乎在说：“请原谅我们已经结了婚吧。”有些人带着一种恶狠狠的眼神，有些人的眼神里则充满了崇敬。 “达格妮，”他忽然开口问道，“你认为他会在纽约吗？” “不，我问过了韦恩·福克兰酒店，他们告诉我他的租房合同已经过期了一个月，而且他没有再续。” “他们在到处找他，”他笑着说，“可他们永远也别想找到。”他的笑容不见了，“我也同样找不到。”他的嗓音又回到了公事公办的黯然平淡的腔调，“不错，工厂是在干活，可我并没有。我什么都不干，整天像秃鹰一般在全国跑来跑去，想通过非法的手段去买原料。躲躲藏藏，偷偷摸摸，撒谎骗人——就为了弄到几吨矿石、煤炭或者铜。他们没有撤销对我采购原料的限制，也知道我的产量超过了他们许可的标准，可他们不关心这些。”他又补充了一句，“他们还认为我会关心呢。” “累不累，汉克？” “简直是无聊透顶。” 她心想，曾几何时，他是把头脑、精力和用之不竭的能量用在了征服大自然和创新上面；而现在，他却像罪犯一样地用它们来对付人，她不知道一个人能够在如此之大的变故下坚持多久。 “铁矿石几乎是搞不到，”他无动于衷地说着，然后声音忽然一亮，又继续道，“现在铜马上就要彻底断了。”他咧开嘴笑了笑。 她不知道当一个人最大的愿望不是成功而是失败时，还能够违心地干多久。 当他说出这句话的时候，她便明白了他的用意，“我从没跟你提起我曾经见过拉各那·丹尼斯约德的事。” “他告诉我了。” “什么？你是在哪儿——”他顿住了，“原来如此，”他的声音变得紧张而低沉，“他和他们是一伙的，你应该见过他了。达格妮，那些人是什么样……不，不要回答我。”他沉默了一会儿又说道，“这样看来，我已经见过他们的一位使者了。” “你见到过两位。” 他顿时愣了，然后才反应过来，“果然如此，”他喃喃地说着，“我就知道……我只是不想对自己承认罢了……他是替他们招募人的，对不对？” “他是他们中最早和最出色的一个。” 他嘿嘿一笑；声音里充满了苦涩和向往，“他们把肯·达纳格带走的那天晚上……我以为他们还没派人找过我……” 他那竭力保持沉着的样子几乎像是一把钥匙，正在缓慢而费力地锁上一间他不允许自己去看的、阳光灿烂的房间。过了半晌，他冷冷地说，“达格妮，我们上个月谈到过的那批新铁轨——我想我是交不出来了。他们没有取消对我的产量的限制，仍然在控制着我的销售，随心所欲地支配着我的合金。可账目已经一团糟，我每星期都要偷出几千吨到黑市上卖。我估计他们也知道，只是装糊涂罢了。现在他们还不想和我作对。不过你瞧，我把自己能弄出来的钢材全都给了我一个急需的客户。达格妮，我上月去了明尼苏达，看到了那里的状况。用不着等到明年，今年冬天乡下就会有饥荒，除非咱们几个人能尽快有所行动。各地的粮食储备都已用光，内布拉斯加州垮了，俄克拉何马州奄奄一息，北达科他州已经被放弃，堪萨斯州只是在勉强撑着——今年冬天不会有小麦，至少纽约和东部的城市里是不会有了。明尼苏达是咱们最后的一座粮仓，他们那里连续两年收成不好，但今年秋天获得了大丰收——他们必须要把粮食都收下来。你看没看过农用机械行业的现状？他们当中，还没有谁能财大气粗到养得起一班华盛顿的打手，或者能交得起人情费的地步。因此，他们分不到什么物资，三分之二的企业已经关门，剩下的也快了。全国各地的农业都在濒临死亡——因为缺少农具。你应该看一看明尼苏达州的那些农民，他们把越来越多的时间花在修理破旧的拖拉机上面，那些旧机器除了还能凑合耕地，已经没法再修了。我想象不出他们怎么能坚持到上一个春季，是怎么种的麦子，但他们做到了，挺下来了。”他的面色凝重，仿佛在苦苦地追忆着一幅少见的、已经被忘却的情景：他看到的是那些人们——她体会到了促使他继续工作的动力。“达格妮，他们必须得有收割用的农具。我把我能偷偷弄出来的钢材全都赊账卖给了农具制造商，他们也是采取了偷偷的、赊账的方式，尽快地把生产出的设备发往明尼苏达。不过他们今年秋天就会拿回货款，我也是一样。这可不是什么施舍！我们帮助的是不屈不挠的劳动者，不是那些好吃懒做的'消费者'！我们给出去的是贷款，不是救济金，我们是在帮助那些肯干的，不是那些只会伸手要的。我绝不能听任这些人遭受不幸，而那些人情贩子却大发其财！” 他眼前出现了曾经在明尼苏达看到的情景：夕阳的余晖不受任何遮挡地从一座破败工厂的窗窟窿和顶棚的裂缝中泻入，残存的牌子上依稀还留有沃德收割机厂的字样。 “我知道，”他说，“就算我们帮他们过了这个冬天，掠夺者们明年还是会把他们吞掉。即使如此，我们今年冬天还是要帮他们……所以我实在没办法再替你弄铁轨了，至少短期之内不能——咱们现在也根本做不了长期的打算。如果一个国家没了铁路，我不知道喂饱它还有什么意义——但是，如果连吃的都没了，留着铁路又有什么用？到底什么才是有用的呢？” “没关系，汉克，依靠现有的铁轨，我们还能坚持——”她顿住了。 “还能坚持一个月吗？” “但愿能坚持到冬天吧。” 从邻近的饭桌发出一个刺耳的声音，打破了他们的沉默，他们扭过头去，发现一个神经兮兮的人，像是一个被逼进角落里后准备伸手拔枪的匪徒，“一种对抗社会的破坏行为，”他在对着脸色阴沉的同桌咆哮着，“特别是在这样一个急需铜的时候！……这绝对不行！绝对不行！” 里尔登愤然转回身子，掉头向窗外望去。“我真想知道他现在在什么地方，”他压低了声音说道，“想知道他此时此刻正在哪里。” “你知道了又打算怎么办？” 他无奈地将手向下一摆，“我不会去找他，如果说我还有什么敬意可以向他表达的话，就是别为了不可能得到的原谅而去求他。” 他们在沉默中听着周围人们的交谈，听着恐慌如碎片般在这间奢华的房间内慢慢地散开。 她未曾注意到，每张桌旁似乎都有一个隐身人，人们说什么都摆脱不掉一个共同的话题，他们的举止并不很缩手缩脚，但他们似乎觉得用玻璃、蓝丝绒、铝合金以及柔和的灯光搭配起来的屋子实在是太过敞亮。他们似乎就是为了躲避才来到这里，企图借这间屋子让他们能继续装模作样地过着文明优越的生活——但他们的世界却被一种野蛮的暴力昭示在了光天化日之下，让他们不得不去面对。 “他怎么可以？他怎么可以呢？”一个妇人带着烦躁不安的惊恐质问道，“他没有权利这么做！” “这是个意外，”一个说话有气无力、操着官腔的年轻人说，“是一连串的意外，只要用统计里的概率分析就不难发现。散布传言、过分夸大与民众对立的人的力量是没有爱国心的表现。” “辩论是非是学术界的事情，”一个嗓门像老师、嘴巴却像酒鬼的女人说道，“可一个人怎么会在人民最需要的时候，还这样固执己见地把财富毁掉呢？” “我就想不通，”一个老者颤抖的声音里满是辛酸，“特别是经过了好几百年对人的残忍本性的改造之后，经过了用善良和人道进行的教化、培养和训导之后！” 一个女人困惑的声音不知所措地响了起来，又随即沉了下去：“我还以为这是一个充满友爱的年代……” “我很怕，”一个年轻姑娘不停地说着，“我很怕……噢，我也不知道是怎么回事！……只是感到害怕……” “他做不到这样的事！”……“可是他做了！”……“这是为什么？”……“我拒绝相信！” ……“简直不是人！”……“这是为什么？”……“他只是个一无是处的浪荡公子！”……“这是为什么？” 在房间另一头的一个女人惊叫一声的同时，达格妮的眼角也瞟见了某种令人不安的信号，她猛然转身向外望去。 操纵日历的是一个锁在屏幕后面小屋里的装置，它年复一年地将同样的屏幕翻卷出来，然后把日期投影上去，在固定的节奏下进行稳定的变换，只有在到达午夜时才会转动一下。达格妮的身子转得很快，正好让她看到了一个如同天上的行星颠覆轨道般的、意想不到的情景，她看见九月二日的字样正在向上移动，随即便越出屏幕上端，无影无踪了。 接着，她看到在硕大的屏幕上出现了几行字，带着锐利倔强的笔锋，令时间停滞，向全世界、向全世界的心脏——纽约，发出了最后一条消息：兄弟，你如愿以偿了！ 弗兰西斯科·多米尼各？卡洛斯？安德列？塞巴斯帝安·德安孔尼亚她分不清是眼前看到的字迹还是里尔登的大笑更让她吃惊——里尔登在身后满屋人的目光下和喧哗声中挺身而立，用笑声盖住了他们惊慌的叹息，他在笑声中致意，迎接和领受着这份他曾经拒绝过的礼物，感到轻松、胜利——他心悦诚服。 九月七日的晚上，蒙大拿州的一条铜缆断裂，位于斯坦福铜矿旁的塔格特公司运输线的装卸吊车发动机熄了火。 这座矿的生产昼夜不断，它是在分秒必争地把每一粒矿石从山体上掘出来，然后运送到在沙漠中的工业区。吊车瘫痪的时候，它正在装车；当时它顿然停住，一动不动地垂立在夜晚的天空下，它的一边是一溜货车车厢，一边是霎时间动弹不得的矿石堆。 火车和矿上的人们全都目瞪口呆地停下了活儿：他们发现，在他们那些庞杂的设备里，不乏钻头、发动机、起重机、精密仪表以及可以照亮矿道和山脊的巨型探照灯——但就是没有用来修吊车的铜缆。他们停在那里，如同是站在一艘装有上万马力发动机的远洋巨轮上，只是因为缺少一根保险丝而走向了覆灭。 车站的经理是一个身手矫健、心直口快的年轻人，他从车站的楼里扯下铜线，使得吊车重新恢复了工作——当矿石在哗哗地装满车皮时，车站办公楼的窗户里透出了摇曳着的烛光。 “明尼苏达，艾迪，”达格妮关上那只装有她特别文件的抽屉，严肃地说，“叫明尼苏达地区把他们存有的一半铜缆运给蒙大拿州。”“可是，我的老天爷，达格妮！现在收割的高峰期就要到了——”“我想——他们会坚持下来的，而铜的供应商可是一个都丢不得。” “我已经尽力了！”当她又一次去催詹姆斯·塔格特的时候，他大叫了起来，“我已经替你弄到了头一个优先使用铜缆的特批，把批量的控制提高到了极限，所有该做的表格、证书、文件和申请都做了——你还想要怎么样？”“铜缆。”“我已经尽力了！这谁都无话可说！” 她没有和他争。下午的报纸放在他的桌上——她正盯着封底的一段话：加利福尼亚州为缓解州内的失业者压力，通过了一项紧急的州税法案，州内的各企业将把缴纳其他税收之前的总收入的百分之五十先用于上缴；加州的石油公司已经纷纷破产。 “别担心，里尔登先生，”一个假意殷勤的声音通过长途电话从华盛顿那边传了过来，“我只是想让你不要太担心。”“担心什么？”里尔登不解地问。“是关于加州出现的一点临时性的混乱，我们马上就会处理好。这是一种犯上作乱的行为，他们那儿的州政府无权征收对全国税收不利的地方税，我们会立即商量出一个公平的方案——但是同时，如果你听说了有关加州石油公司的一些别有用心的谣言而有所担心的话，那我可以告诉你，里尔登合金已经被列入最高一级的重点需求，可以优先使用全国任何地方的石油资源，这可是很高的级别呀，里尔登先生——因此我只是想让你知道，你用不着担心今年冬季的用油了！” 里尔登挂上电话，忧心忡忡地皱起了眉头，他担心的倒不是油料困难和加州油田从此消失的问题——这样的灾难现在已经是屡见不鲜——而是华盛顿的决策者们意识到要去安抚他了。这可是破天荒头一遭。他苦苦思索着其中的奥妙。多年的奋斗经验告诉他，那些明显而又毫无来由的敌意并不难对付，但显然是无缘无故的热心就很危险了。当他走在厂房之间的小道上，发现那个没精打采，神态既傲慢又像是希望能被人狠揍一顿的人竟然是他的弟弟菲利普时，心中不禁再次泛起了同样的疑惑。 自从里尔登搬到费城后，就再也没回过他以前的家，虽然他仍然负担着家人的生活费用，却和他们断绝了音信和来往。但令人费解的是，就在这几周，他已经看到菲利普莫名其妙地在厂子里出现了两回。他说不好菲利普是在有意躲着他还是想引起他的注意，因为看上去似乎都有可能。除了某种无法理解的热心之外，他想不出菲利普来此还有什么别的目的，不过，菲利普以前可是从来都不会表现出这种热心来。 第一次见面，他吃惊地问，“你来这里干什么？”菲利普含糊其辞地回答说，“嗯，我知道你不想让我去你的办公室。”“你想要什么？”“哦，没什么……只是……这个，妈妈担心你。”“可她随时都可以打电话给我。”菲利普没有回答，而是故作轻松地继续问了一些有关他的工作、身体和生意上的问题；这些问题都是在奇怪地绕来绕去，他关心的并非生意本身，而是里尔登本人对生意的看法。里尔登打断了他的话，然后挥挥手就走开了，但这件事成了他心里的一小块总也解不开的疙瘩。 第二次的时候，菲利普唯一的解释就是说，“我们只是想了解一下你的想法。”“我们是指谁？”“当然是……妈妈和我了，现在日子不好过，所以……嗯，妈妈想知道你有什么想法。”“告诉她，我没想法。”这句回答令他特别震动，似乎他害怕听见的正是这样的话。“你给我走，”里尔登厌倦地下令说，“下次要想见我的话，预约后到我的办公室来，除非你真有话要说，否则就别来。这里不是谈论我和任何人的想法的地方。” 菲利普并没有打电话约时间——可如今他又来了。他站在一座座巨型高炉的旁边，耷拉着脑袋，心虚的同时又端着架子，似乎他是偷偷摸摸到这里，可架子又像是来视察贫民区一样。 “我的确是有话要说！是真的！”一看见里尔登皱起的眉头，他便忙不迭地喊道。 “你为什么不到我办公室去？” “你又不想让我去你的办公室。” “我也同样不想让你到这个地方来。” “可是，我只是……我只是替你着想，不希望在你特别忙的时候打搅你，而且……你是很忙，对吧？” "anything else?" “还有……就是，我只是想在你空闲的时候找你谈谈。” "About what?" “我……这个，我需要找个工作。” 他挑衅似的说出这句话来，同时向后退了退。里尔登站在原地，面无表情地看着他。 “汉克，我需要一份工作。我是说就在这个厂里。我想让你安排我干点什么，我想要工作，想要自食其力，我受够了靠救济的生活了。”他在心里找着词，请求般的声音显得很受伤害，似乎如此请求是强加给他的不公，“我想有自己的生活，我不是在请求你的施舍，我是在请求你给我一次机会！” “这里是工厂，菲利普，不是赌场。” "what?" “我们既不接受，也不给什么机会。” “我是在请求你给我一个工作。” “我凭什么要给你？” “因为我需要工作！” 里尔登用手一指在黑洞洞的炉子里跳动的通红的火焰，在钢铁、黏土和热气的包围下，火焰安然无恙地融入了距离他们上方四百英尺高的空中。“菲利普，我曾经需要过那台高炉，但给我的那台高炉可不是我想要的。” 菲利普装出一副听而未见的样子，“按规定，你不能正式地雇佣人，但这只是技术问题，如果你要我的话，我认识的朋友可以对此认可。没有任何麻烦，并且——”他一看到里尔登的眼神，便猛然住了口，随即便不耐烦而恼火地问道，“怎么了？我讲得有什么不对的吗？” “是你还没讲出来的。” "What did you say?" “就是你憋了半天没讲的话。” "What is it?" “就是你对我一点用处都没有。” “你就是这么——”菲利普不自觉地开始想要慷慨陈词一番，却半道收了回去。 “没错，”里尔登笑着说，“我一上来就是这么想的。” 菲利普的眼睛失神地转向一旁；他再度张口的时候，已经是废话连篇地在胡说一气了，“每个人都有生活的权利……假如没人给我机会，我又怎么能得到呢？” “那我是怎么得到的？” “我可不是天生就有一座钢铁厂的。” “我天生就有吗？” “如果你教我的话，你做的事情我也一样能做。” “那么又是谁教了我呢？” “你干吗老这么说话？我又不是在谈你！” “可我是。” 过了半晌，菲利普嘟囔道，“你干吗要操这份心？现在说的又不是你的生活！” 里尔登用手一指正在炉前蒸汽中的工人们的身影，“你干得了他们的活儿吗？” “我不明白你这是——” “假如我把你放到那儿，你把炼好的一炉钢毁了怎么办？” “究竟是把你那该死的钢炼出来要紧，还是我能吃上一口饭要紧？” “要是炼不出钢，你吃什么？” 菲利普一脸不屑的样子，“你现在是占了上风，我没法和你争。” “那就别争。” "what?" “给我闭上嘴，离开这里。” “可我的意思是——”他哽在了那里。 里尔登一阵冷笑，“你的意思是不是我应该闭嘴，应该把上风让给你，因为你现在什么能耐都没了？” “你这么说也太没道德了。” “可这不正是你的道德吗？” “你不能用物质至上主义者的语言来谈道德。” “咱们现在谈的是在钢铁厂里的工作——这就是个物质至上的地方！” 菲利普似乎是对这里感到恐惧，他的身子缩紧，眼神变得更加呆滞，厌恶地看着眼前的一切，尽量让自己不在它的面前低头。他带着念毒咒一般萦绕不绝的腔调说道，“人人都有工作的权利，这是放之四海皆准，大家必须遵守的道德。”他的嗓门一提，“我有工作的权利！” “真的？那好，你去干吧。” "what?" “去干你的工作吧，从草棵里找工作干吧。” “我是说——” “你是说这不可能？你是说你需要工作，但自己想不出办法？你是说你有权利干的这份工作，还得靠我来替你创造出来？” "right!" “我要是不干呢？” 一阵沉默后，菲利普终于说话了，“我真不明白你这是怎么了，”他像是一个在照本宣科，却总是发现出问题的人那样，不禁感到恼火和迷惑，“我不明白你怎么这样难以沟通，不明白你这一套究竟是什么逻辑——” “算了吧，你心里明白。” 菲利普似乎是不愿承认自己照搬的方法失灵，大声叫嚷了起来：“你什么时候学过哲学？你只不过是个商人，根本就不配去探讨原则性的问题，你还是把这些问题留给那些长久以来已经很有心得的学者们——” “少废话，菲利普，你居心何在？” “居心？” “你怎么突然想干事了？” “这个，在目前这种形势下……” “什么形势？” “这个嘛，每个人都应该得到谋生的手段……而且不应该被抛弃……在如此动荡的情况下，人必须要有点安全感……有个立足之地……我是说，像现在这样，你一旦出什么事的话，我就——” “你认为我会出什么事？” “噢，我不是！我不是！”这声叫喊竟是如此不可思议地发自肺腑，“我不希望出任何事情！……你也不希望吧？” “比如像什么样的事情？” “这我怎么知道？……可我现在只有你给我的那点补贴，而且……而且你随时都可能改主意。” “我有可能。” “我拿你一点办法都没有。” “你为什么过了这么多年才意识到要开始工作？为什么偏偏又在现在？” “因为……因为你变了。你……过去还有一点责任感和良心，可是……你身上的这些东西越来越少了，难道你没变吗？” 里尔登默默地打量着他；菲利普问话的方式很是特别，似乎是漫不经心，但那过于随意、稍显执拗的问题却正是他的意图的关键所在。 “好吧，假如我是你的一个负担，那我很乐意帮你来减轻一下！”菲利普冷不防地甩出一句话来，“只要你给我个工作，你就再也不会因为我而受到任何良心上的谴责了！” “我的良心没有谴责我。” “我说的正是这个意思！你冷漠无情，根本就不关心我们的今后，对不对？” “谁的今后？” “当然……是妈妈和我……还有整个人类的了，可我不会去向你的良心求情。我知道，你随时都可能把我推到深渊里，所以——” “你在撒谎，菲利普，你担心的并不是这个，如果真像你说的那样，你就会千方百计地要钱，而不是来要工作，不是——” “不对！我是要一份工作！”这声脱口而出的叫喊近乎发狂，“你休想拿钱来收买我！我是要工作！” “你这条寄生虫还是放老实一点吧，听没听见你自己在说什么？” 菲利普只能咬牙切齿地回答说，“你不能这么跟我说话！” “那你自己就可以吗？” "I just--" “收买你？我凭什么收买你？我倒是应该在几年前就把你轰出去才对。” “可是，不管怎么说，我还是你的弟弟呀！” “你说这个管什么用？” “人应该是有一点手足之情的。” "do you have?" 菲利普怒气冲冲地撅起嘴，一声不吭地继续等着；里尔登却不再说话，把他晾在了一