Changes

== The Betrayal ==

== The Betrayal ==

In the fall of 1927, Mouch was one of four men who met to discuss the state of the [[economy]] of the [[United States]]—or rather, what advantage they might gain by colluding in [[politics|political]] rule-making. The other three were [[James Taggart]], Orren Boyle, and Paul Lutkin, who had ingratiated himself with Henry Rearden's family. Mouch carefully confined himself to laconic remarks of agreement with whatever any of the other three were saying. This was the meeting in which James Taggart and Orren Boyle each agreed to support a rule-making project that would benefit the other over his competitors: James Taggart wanted the National Alliance of Railroads to promulgate an "Anti-dog-eat-dog Rule" stating that no [[railroad]] shall offer "cutthroat competition" to any railroad in a territory where the other railroad had prior operations, and Orren Boyle wanted an "Equalization of Opportunity Act" to force Henry Rearden to divest himself of certain [[iron]] [[ore]] and [[coal]] [[mine]]s so that he would be in the same predicament, as regards obtaining raw materials, as was Boyle, whose Associated Steel Company did not own any such mines. Paul Lutkin agreed to step in to buy Rearden's iron-ore mines but make sure that Orren Boyle would get all his shipments.

In the fall of 1955, Mouch was one of four men who met to discuss the state of the [[economy]] of the [[United States]]—or rather, what advantage they might gain by colluding in [[politics|political]] rule-making. The other three were [[James Taggart]], Orren Boyle, and Paul Lutkin, who had ingratiated himself with Henry Rearden's family. Mouch carefully confined himself to laconic remarks of agreement with whatever any of the other three were saying. This was the meeting in which James Taggart and Orren Boyle each agreed to support a rule-making project that would benefit the other over his competitors: James Taggart wanted the National Alliance of Railroads to promulgate an "Anti-dog-eat-dog Rule" stating that no [[railroad]] shall offer "cutthroat competition" to any railroad in a territory where the other railroad had prior operations, and Orren Boyle wanted an "Equalization of Opportunity Act" to force Henry Rearden to divest himself of certain [[iron]] [[ore]] and [[coal]] [[mine]]s so that he would be in the same predicament, as regards obtaining raw materials, as was Boyle, whose Associated Steel Company did not own any such mines. Paul Lutkin agreed to step in to buy Rearden's iron-ore mines but make sure that Orren Boyle would get all his shipments.

As this meeting concluded, James Taggart observed to Mouch, {{cquote|What I like most about you, Mouch, is that you do not talk too much.}}

As this meeting concluded, James Taggart observed to Mouch, {{cquote|What I like most about you, Mouch, is that you do not talk too much.}}