Changes

== Henry Rearden's disappearance ==

== Henry Rearden's disappearance ==

In October of 1929, the government prepared to promulgate the Steel Unification Plan, along the lines of the earlier Railroad Unification Plan. Floyd Ferris, Wesley Mouch, Orren Boyle, James Taggart, and a number of others all invited Henry Rearden to a meeting to discuss the Plan. Which Washington official arranged with the [[Internal Revenue Service]] to place liens on Rearden's personal and company assets to satisfy a [[tax]] obligation that actually did not exist, the novel never names. The Washington men then invited Rearden to meet them in a conference center in [[New York City]], on the pretext of helping "straighten out" the tax liens.

In October of 1957, the government prepared to promulgate the Steel Unification Plan, along the lines of the earlier Railroad Unification Plan. Floyd Ferris, Wesley Mouch, Orren Boyle, James Taggart, and a number of others all invited Henry Rearden to a meeting to discuss the Plan. Which Washington official arranged with the [[Internal Revenue Service]] to place liens on Rearden's personal and company assets to satisfy a [[tax]] obligation that actually did not exist, the novel never names. The Washington men then invited Rearden to meet them in a conference center in [[New York City]], on the pretext of helping "straighten out" the tax liens.

Henry Rearden did attend the meeting, and spent most of it disputing Wesley Mouch and his friends as to the wisdom and practicality of their economic policies. The assembled men described the plan to Rearden, and Rearden told them flatly that their numbers didn't add up. Then he asked, in a manner that was not ''quite'' sarcastic, what his hosts thought could save them.

Henry Rearden did attend the meeting, held on November 5. He spent most of it disputing Wesley Mouch and his friends as to the wisdom and practicality of their economic policies. The assembled men described the plan to Rearden, and Rearden told them flatly that their numbers didn't add up. Then he asked, in a manner that was not ''quite'' sarcastic, what his hosts thought could save them.

That was when Jim Taggart made a major blunder. He said, "Oh, you'll do something." The minute Taggart said that, Ferris knew that Taggart shouldn't have said it. The look on Henry Rearden's face said it all, and when Rearden abruptly turned to leave, Ferris knew that Taggart, Mouch, and the others had blundered badly. Nothing would sway a man like Henry Rearden but direct force. Henry Rearden had said as much at his earlier trial, and why those men had never learned that lesson was beyond Floyd Ferris' comprehension.

That was when Jim Taggart made a major blunder. He said, "Oh, you'll do something." The minute Taggart said that, Ferris knew that Taggart shouldn't have said it. The look on Henry Rearden's face said it all, and when Rearden abruptly turned to leave, Ferris knew that Taggart, Mouch, and the others had blundered badly. Nothing would sway a man like Henry Rearden but direct force. Henry Rearden had said as much at his earlier trial, and why those men had never learned that lesson was beyond Floyd Ferris' comprehension.