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== The clue ==

== The clue ==

The end of May of that year found Dagny traveling westbound on the Taggart Comet, the TTRR's signature coast-to-coast express, in an effort to stop Quentin Daniels from quitting and vanishing. He had called to tell her that he was not going to do any useful work anymore. He would work on the motor, but accept no remuneration, so that he would owe no [[tax]] on it. Dagny reasoned that he was ready to quit completely, and she might dissuade him from that—but only if she could reach him before the mysterious "Destroyer" could. She was, of course, convinced that the Destroyer was on his way to visit him, as he had visited Ken Dannager.

Dagny had intended to travel westbound on the Taggart Comet, the TTRR's signature coast-to-coast express, to inspect a new track that she had ordered laid in the wake of the Taggart Tunnel disaster. But her apartment house superintendent handed her a special-delivery letter from [[Quentin Daniels]] that forced her to go west immediately. Daniels had written to say that he was not going to do any useful work anymore. He would work on the motor, but accept no remuneration, so that he would owe no [[tax]] on it.

On the way, Dagny spotted the conductor as he was about to order a hobo to jump from the train. Something about this hobo convinced Dagny that he was not an ordinary bum, so she invited the man to stay and have dinner with her in her private car.

Dagny reasoned that he was ready to quit completely, and she might dissuade him from that—but only if she could reach him before the mysterious "Destroyer" could. She was, of course, convinced that the Destroyer was on his way to visit him, as he had visited Ken Dannager.

This man was Jeff Allen, who had once been a skilled lathe operator, and last worked that job in Colorado for the Lawrence Hammond Car Company, until Lawrence Hammond had quit and vanished. But he had held his very first job for twenty years, and had held it at the Twentieth Century Motor Company. In fact, he had worked sixteen years under Jed Starnes, and the last four under the administration of the Starnes heirs. In the course of half an hour, he told Dagny the story of what working at a factory was like where the people worked according to their abilities but were paid according to their needs. As Dagny expected, it was not pleasant. Nor was it successful, because in this manner the Starnes heirs had run the company into the ground.

 

 

This man was Jeff Allen, who had once been a skilled lathe operator, and last worked that job in Colorado for the [[Lawrence Hammond]] Car Company, until Lawrence Hammond had quit and vanished. But he had held his very first job for twenty years, and had held it at the Twentieth Century Motor Company. In fact, he had worked sixteen years under Jed Starnes, and the last four under the administration of the Starnes heirs. In the course of half an hour, he told Dagny the story of what working at a factory was like where the people worked according to their abilities but were paid according to their needs. As Dagny expected, it was not pleasant. Nor was it successful, because in this manner the Starnes heirs had run the company into the ground.

Then the man gave Dagny an electrifying clue. On the day that the new business plan was inaugurated, Gerald Starnes, Junior, had told all the employees to:{{cquote|Remember that none of you may leave this place, for you are all bound here by the moral code which we all accept.}}

Then the man gave Dagny an electrifying clue. On the day that the new business plan was inaugurated, Gerald Starnes, Junior, had told all the employees to:{{cquote|Remember that none of you may leave this place, for you are all bound here by the moral code which we all accept.}}