Part 1, Chapter 4, Section 7
Written by Levi Clancy
First published
August 6, 2009
Last modified
August 6, 2009
Dagny has just made an appointment with Hank Rearden for that afternoon when Ellis Wyatt enters her office unannounced and introduces himself (p 81 s 147). Unsmiling, he delivers an ultimatum, “I expect Taggart Transcontinental, nine months from now, to run trains in Colorado as my business requires them to be run.” Dagny asks to tell him of her Rio Norte Line plans. Ellis Wyatt remains unforgiving of the “snide stunt you people perpetrated on the Phoenix-Durango” by replying, “No. I have no interest in discussions and intentions. I expect transportation.”
Somewhere within her, under the numbness that held her still to receive the lashing, she felt a small point of pain, hot like the pain of scalding. She wanted to tell him of the years she had spent looking for men such as he to work with; she wanted to tell him that his enemies were hers, that she was fighting the same battle; she wanted to cry to him: I’m not one of them! But she knew that she could not do it. She bore the responsibility for Taggart Transcontinental and for everything done in its name; she had no right to justify herself now. (p 82 s 147)
Dagny confirms that Ellis Wyatt will receive the transportation he needs (p 82 s 147). He responds “All right. Thank you. Good day.” before leaving her office.
Rand, Ayn. 1957. Atlas Shrugged. New York City: Penguin Group.
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