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== Henry Rearden's disappearance ==

== Henry Rearden's disappearance ==

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.

In October of 1957, the government prepared to promulgate the Steel Unification Plan, along the lines of the earlier Railroad Unification Plan. This time the government took no chances; they knew that only a tremendous threat would persuade Rearden to sign on. To that end the Unification Board set up a very elaborate ruse to make Rearden think that labor violence was about to break out in his mills. Then on October 31, the [[Internal Revenue Service]] entered a lien on all of Rearden's assets, to satisfy a nonexistent [[income tax]] obligation.

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.

 

Henry Rearden did attend the meeting, held on November 5. He spent about fifteen minutes 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.

In the end, even those false tax liens could not hold Henry Rearden, who evidently decided that the government had confiscated everything from him except the clothes on his back, with the result that he quite literally had nothing to lose and therefore nothing to forfeit. Ferris was probably not surprised to learn, the following morning, that Henry Rearden had vanished without a trace, like so many other industrialists. What might have surprised him was that nearly his entire workforce had vanished along with him, leaving his steel mills standing still.

In the end, even those false tax liens could not hold Henry Rearden, who evidently decided that the government had confiscated everything from him except the clothes on his back, with the result that he quite literally had nothing to lose and therefore nothing to forfeit. Ferris was probably not surprised to learn, the following morning, that Henry Rearden had vanished without a trace, like so many other industrialists. What might have surprised him was that several key members of his workforce had vanished along with him, leaving his steel mills standing still.

== The unraveling ==

== The unraveling ==