Changes

== The scab ==

== The scab ==

In July of the last year of the strike, Eddie Willers let slip to Galt that an engineer named Quentin Daniels was attempting to reverse-engineer his electrostatic motor. Galt also discovered that Daniels had abruptly refused to accept any remuneration for any continued work, because any remuneration he received would merely be subject to [[tax]], and he had no wish to support "the looters" by paying any more taxes. Galt traveled across country to recruit Daniels in ernest, perhaps not quite realizing that Dagny Taggart had also headed westward to persuade Daniels not to quit. As Galt and Daniels took off for Mulligan's Valley, Galt realized that another aircraft was on his "six-o'clock." He took no showy evasive action (perhaps his aircraft was not built for aerobatics), but simply flew to the valley and ducked behind the refractor-ray screen that he had installed, at an altitude of 700 feet above ground level (8700 feet above sea level), to create a mirror in the sky and make the valley look rocky instead of green and lush. To his horror, the pursuing aircraft followed him down, and impinged upon the screen. The rays struck the aircraft with a bright flash and instantly shut down its engine, causing it to spiral down. The pilot made one last desperate control input before crash-landing in the grass near the Valley airstrip. To Galt's further horror, Dagny Taggart was the pilot. To his immense relief, she survived with nothing more serious than a broken ankle.

In June of the last year of the strike, Eddie Willers let slip to Galt that an engineer named Quentin Daniels was attempting to reverse-engineer his electrostatic motor. Galt also discovered that Daniels had abruptly refused to accept any remuneration for any continued work, because any remuneration he received would merely be subject to [[tax]], and he had no wish to support "the looters" by paying any more taxes.

 

Galt learned something else in that conversation: that Dagny Taggart had been having an affair with [[Henry Rearden]]. At that news, Galt abruptly stood up and left the cafeteria without finishing his meal. He would never see Eddie Willers again.

 

Galt first waited outside the Wayne-Falkland Hotel to spot Rearden coming out of a meeting of the nation's industrialists. Galt watched Rearden, saw his supreme self-confidence, and for a split second saw the scene out of context and wondered whether he, Galt, had made a mistake in calling the strike. The moment swiftly passed, and Galt recognized again that Rearden was still soldiering on, as far as ever from realizing that going on strike would be the best thing he could do. Still, Galt was determined to recruit him. Galt also put aside his envy of Rearden's intimacy with Dagny. Indeed, Dagny Taggart would never have chosen any other man to have an affair with.

 

Galt then set out toward Afton, [[Utah]], to recruit Daniels in earnest. He was in a hurry—he had to get there before Dagny Taggart did. As Galt and Daniels took off for Mulligan's Valley, Galt watched another aircraft circle for a landing. He would not realize until too late that that same aircraft would take off again and latch onto his "six-o'clock."

 

He took no showy evasive action (perhaps his aircraft was not built for aerobatics), but simply flew to the valley and ducked behind the refractor-ray screen that he had installed, at an altitude of 700 feet above ground level (8700 feet above sea level), to project a false image in the sky and make the valley look rocky instead of green and lush. To his horror, the pursuing aircraft followed him down, and impinged upon the screen. The rays struck the aircraft with a bright flash and instantly shut down its engine, causing it to spiral down. The pilot made one last desperate control input before crash-landing in the grass near the Valley airstrip. To Galt's further horror, Dagny Taggart was the pilot. To his immense relief, she survived with nothing more serious than a broken ankle.

Having little choice, John Galt hand-carried Dagny into the center of the little town and introduced her to the members of his community. He did not delude himself into thinking that she would join his strike immediately, and so he introduced her as "the [[scab]]." In actual fact, he allowed the townspeople to speak for him. Each one told her why he or she had quit the world, and also showed her some of what they had invented in the valley.

Having little choice, John Galt hand-carried Dagny into the center of the little town and introduced her to the members of his community. He did not delude himself into thinking that she would join his strike immediately, and so he introduced her as "the [[scab]]." In actual fact, he allowed the townspeople to speak for him. Each one told her why he or she had quit the world, and also showed her some of what they had invented in the valley.

One of the more brief visitors was Ragnar Danneskjold. Galt would not allow Ragnar to speak, in front of Dagny, about his meeting with Henry Rearden after the passage of Directive 10-289. (Galt had learned from one of his conversations with Eddie Willers that Dagny Taggart and Henry Rearden had been having an affair.) Ragnar did speak of his privateering operations and his proposal to refund the [[income tax]]es of all the strikers. Dagny indignantly refused to accept any of Danneskjold's money and asked John Galt to hire her as his cook and housemaid, so that she could earn her room and board. Galt, beside himself with mirth, accepted the proposal.

Francisco d'Anconia came late to the valley that year, so late that Galt worried about him. When Francisco showed up, he was extremely careworn. Galt told Francisco that he had a scab staying in his house. Francisco, his curiosity thoroughly piqued, forgot his troubles and went in to see the "scab." That person was, of course, Dagny. When a very relieved Francisco came out, with Dagny in tow, and told Galt that he had been searching for Dagny outside (thinking that she had crashed in the mountains), Galt was not surprised.

 

Ragnar Danneskjold came to the valley on time. Galt ''always'' worried about Ragnar, though Ragnar told him not to. Galt would not allow Ragnar to speak, in front of Dagny, about his meeting with Henry Rearden after the passage of Directive 10-289. Ragnar did speak of his privateering operations and his proposal to refund the [[income tax]]es of all the strikers. Dagny indignantly refused to accept any of Danneskjold's money and asked John Galt to hire her as his cook and housemaid, so that she could earn her room and board. Galt, beside himself with mirth, accepted the proposal.

The valley dwellers had one occasion to be alarmed about two weeks into Dagny's stay: ''another'' aircraft dipped into the upper reaches of the cone that formed the valley, in an obvious search for Dagny's aircraft. Dagny gave a start of recognition, but denied it to Galt. Whether Galt was fooled by this, the story does not make clear—but in any case he would obviously learn later that the pilot of this search aircraft was Henry Rearden.

Dagny came close—very close—to joining the strike when Francisco showed off his copper mine that he was driving into the mountainside. Francisco was using teams of mules to carry his copper ore to the valley floor, "wasting an unconscionable amount of time and manpower," as Dagny put it. Dagny started then and there to propose to build a narrow-gauge railroad from the mine to the valley. But in the middle of her proposal, Dagny broke off, saying that she could not lay three miles of rail and abandon an entire transcontinental system.

Galt entertained a small hope that Dagny would change her mind after he and Francisco d'Anconia invited her to see "D'Anconia Copper No. 1," a copper mine that Francisco had dug into the side of one of the mountains that formed the valley wall. Dagny pointed out that Francisco was wasting time he couldn't afford to waste by transporting the copper ore on [[mule]]back to the valley floor. She quickly sketched a plan to lay rail from the mine to the valley. But at the last minute, she bewailed that she could not bear to lay only a mile or two of track and abandon a transcontinental system.

The valley dwellers had one occasion to be alarmed about three weeks into Dagny's stay: ''another'' aircraft dipped into the upper reaches of the cone that formed the valley, in an obvious search for Dagny's aircraft. Dagny gave a start of recognition, but denied it to Galt. Whether Galt was fooled by this, the story does not make clear—but in any case he would obviously learn later that the pilot of this search aircraft was Henry Rearden.

In the end, Dagny Taggart did not consent to remain in the valley. So John Galt took her out to the nearest airport—blindfolded, so that she would not be able to find the valley again.

In the end, Dagny Taggart did not consent to remain in the valley. So John Galt took her out to the nearest airport—blindfolded, so that she would not be able to find the valley again.