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== Rescue of John Galt ==

== Rescue of John Galt ==

[[John Galt]] did not stay in the valley for very long after ferrying Rearden in. He was on his way back to the outer world within a day. Francisco stayed behind, and no doubt Rearden knew that Francisco was preoccupied. If Francisco brought himself to confide in Rearden that John Galt had, against his advice, gone back out "to redeem from the outer world the one value that he wanted and would not let that world have," Rearden would have known exactly what, or rather whom, John Galt meant: Dagny.

[[John Galt]], as promised, opened a special edition of his lecture course, that all the most productive men in Galt's Gulch knew and loved. Those lectures, held every other evening in the hangar of Dwight Sanders' airfield, were among the highlights of Rearden's stay. Rearden never asked himself whom he liked better: the teacher or his fellow students.

On November 22, Galt came back for a day, long enough to make his three-hour speech explaining the strike and the philosophy behind it. He went back out the next day, probably after telling Henry the latest condition of his old mills. Rearden, as mentioned above, likely took it in good grace. As far as Henry was concerned, Rearden Steel was now based in Galt's Gulch, not near Reading, Pennsylvania.

 

On November 22, Galt made a three-hour speech, on voice only, explaining the strike and the philosophy behind it. The next day, Galt left the valley for New York City. Francisco d'Anconia and Ragnar Danneskjold tried to talk him out of it, but to no avail. Rearden knew better than to try. He knew why Galt was going back to the outer world: Dagny.

Months passed with no news, except for the fire at Rearden Steel on January 22. Then, in the middle of February, John Galt was arrested. Somehow Dagny had been involved. Henry was probably not inclined to believe that Dagny would deliberately betray John Galt to the authorities. Surely she was acting at Galt's own suggestion, so that she would not come to harm. (Henry would probably hear the truth of the matter from Galt himself later on.)

Months passed with no news, except for the fire at Rearden Steel on January 22. Then, in the middle of February, John Galt was arrested. Somehow Dagny had been involved. Henry was probably not inclined to believe that Dagny would deliberately betray John Galt to the authorities. Surely she was acting at Galt's own suggestion, so that she would not come to harm. (Henry would probably hear the truth of the matter from Galt himself later on.)

The news of Galt's arrest electrified, astounded, and angered every man in the valley. By now, [[Ragnar Danneskjold]] had hidden his old pirate vessel and had mustered out his crew to build their own homes in the valley. Now, Danneskjold organized a militia to attempt to rescue Galt. The valley had planes enough to transport half the men, and so Danneskjold took off for New York City with a sizeable air and infantry militia. Hank Rearden served as Danneskjold's aide, while Francisco served as his "G-2," or chief of intelligence.

The news of Galt's arrest electrified, astounded, and angered every man in the valley. By now, [[Ragnar Danneskjold]] had hidden his old pirate vessel and had mustered out his crew to build their own homes in the valley. Now, Danneskjold organized a militia to attempt to rescue Galt. The valley had planes enough to transport half the men, and so Danneskjold took off for New York City with a sizeable air force, and half the male population of the valley as commandoes. Hank Rearden served as Danneskjold's aide, while Francisco served as his "G-2," or chief of intelligence.

When the authorities announced the drafting of "The John Galt Plan for Peace and Prosperity," Francisco guessed that the time would soon come for them to make their move. He had reached Dagny and instructed her to watch the men now holding Galt and to call Francisco at once if anything threatened him.

When the authorities announced the drafting of "The John Galt Plan for Peace and Prosperity," Francisco guessed that the time would soon come for them to make their move. He had reached Dagny and instructed her to watch the men now holding Galt and to call Francisco at once if anything threatened him.

Sure enough, the authorities planned a [[television]] special to announce their plan. But in the middle of that show, John Galt moved deftly enough to demonstrate that someone was pointing a gun at him, and said,{{cquote|Get...out of my way.}}

Sure enough, the authorities planned a [[television]] special to announce their plan. But in the middle of that show, John Galt moved deftly enough to demonstrate that someone was pointing a gun at him, and said,{{cquote|Get...out of my way.}}

Very shortly thereafter, Francisco got the call he was waiting for. Dagny told them that the authorities would now transport Galt to the campus of the [[State Science Institute]] in New Hampshire (probably on the present grounds of the United States Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, near the town of Lyme) and there put him to some kind of torture. The air militia had to scramble to get their planes in the air, from hidden landing areas, which is why they would not reach the Institute for hours. At some point in the process, they learned another shocking piece of news: the famous Taggart Bridge at Bedford, [[Illinois]], the only railroad bridge that crossed the [[Mississippi River]], had been cut in half by a malfunction at the mysterious [[Project X]]. Only then would Henry have learned the nature of the secret project that he once refused to support.

Very shortly thereafter, Francisco got the call he was waiting for. Dagny told them that the authorities would now transport Galt to the campus of the [[State Science Institute]] in New Hampshire (probably on the present grounds of the United States Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, near the town of Lyme) and there put him to some kind of torture. The air militia had to scramble to get their planes in the air, from hidden landing areas, which is why they would not reach the Institute for hours. Dagny then gave them this report: they learned another shocking piece of news: the famous Taggart Bridge at Bedford, [[Illinois]], the only railroad bridge that crossed the [[Mississippi River]], had been cut in half by a malfunction at the mysterious [[Project X]]. Only then would Henry have learned the nature of the secret project that he once refused to support.

That news caused a panic throughout the city of New York, in which residents fled the city with all their belongings lashed to their automobile roofs. In the middle of this panic, Francisco picked Dagny up, and she, Francisco, Rearden, and Danneskjold got away in Danneskjold's aircraft.

That news caused a panic throughout the city of New York, in which residents fled the city with all their belongings lashed to their automobile roofs. In the middle of this panic, Francisco picked Dagny up, and she, Francisco, Rearden, and Danneskjold got away in Danneskjold's aircraft.