Changes

Thousands of listeners took John Galt's advice. They could not contact him, so they could not come to Mulligan's Valley. But many of them set up their own versions of Mulligan's Valley, chiefly armed camps in various forests and other "wilderness" regions.

Thousands of listeners took John Galt's advice. They could not contact him, so they could not come to Mulligan's Valley. But many of them set up their own versions of Mulligan's Valley, chiefly armed camps in various forests and other "wilderness" regions.

John Galt now made his almost-fatal mistake. He could have stayed in Mulligan's Valley and relied on Francisco, or Ragnar, or both to watch for signs that Dagny was ready to quit, and bring her to him. But he had promised Dagny that all she need do was draw a dollar sign in chalk on the plinth of Nathaniel Taggart's statue in the Terminal, and he would come for her that evening. True to his promise, and perhaps not willing to hire either of his friends to do what was his own private business, he returned to New York City and stayed long enough for Dagny Taggart to come to him. (Whether he retrofitted Hank Rearden's aircraft with an electrostatic powerplant, the novel does not make clear. Possibly he did. With his skill as a mechanic, he certainly could have, and Rearden definitely had the money for it. Such a retrofit would have been instrumental in saving Galt's life, later on.)

John Galt now made his almost-fatal mistake. He could have stayed in Mulligan's Valley and relied on Francisco, or Ragnar, or both to watch for signs that Dagny was ready to quit, and bring her to him. But he had promised Dagny that all she need do was draw a dollar sign in chalk on the plinth of Nathaniel Taggart's statue in the Terminal, and he would come for her that evening. True to his promise, and perhaps not willing to hire either of his friends to do what was his own private business, he returned to New York City and stayed long enough for Dagny Taggart to come to him. (Before he did, he retrofitted Hank Rearden's aircraft with an electrostatic powerplant. He couldn't have known how valuable that would be, but he would want to be prepared. Besides, Rearden would certainly have ordered such a retrofit.)

He waited for nearly three months, during which time Rearden Steel of Berks County, Pennsylvania, deteriorated under successive mismanagement (not to mention embezzlement) and finally died in an act of sabotage. Galt passed the information back to the valley, via short wave. Hank Rearden had to know about it, per Galt's own rigid code. The word he got back was that Rearden took it all in stride.

He waited for nearly three months, during which time Rearden Steel of Berks County, Pennsylvania, deteriorated under successive mismanagement (not to mention embezzlement) and finally died in an act of sabotage. Galt passed the information back to the valley, via short wave. Hank Rearden had to know about it, per Galt's own rigid code. The word he got back was that Rearden took it all in stride.

The authorities could not charge him with anything. Instead, President [[Mr. Thompson|Thompson]] tried to urge him to take the post of "Economic Dictator" of the country, a suggestion that Galt found laughable. To illustrate the absurdity of the proposition, Galt said that his first order would be to abolish all income taxes and fire all government employees. Naturally, Thompson rejected those proposals.

The authorities could not charge him with anything. Instead, President [[Mr. Thompson|Thompson]] tried to urge him to take the post of "Economic Dictator" of the country, a suggestion that Galt found laughable. To illustrate the absurdity of the proposition, Galt said that his first order would be to abolish all income taxes and fire all government employees. Naturally, Thompson rejected those proposals.

First [[James Taggart]], and then Chick Morrison tried to plead with Galt, to no avail. [[Floyd Ferris]] of the [[State Science Institute]] did not plead; he threatened. Specifically he threatened to institute a program of executions of "unproductive citizens," a program he said would be necessary if Galt did not cooperate. [[Mr. Thompson]] was horrified and said that Ferris was not serious. Galt was having none of that. He said, {{cquote|Oh yes, he did mean it. Tell that [illegitimate son] to look at me, and then look in the mirror, and ask himself whether I could ever think that ''my'' moral stature was at the mercy of ''his'' actions.}}

A steady stream of Mr. Thompson's hangers-on, including [[James Taggart]], [[Chick Morrison]], and [[Fred Kinnan]], tried to plead with Galt, to no avail. [[Floyd Ferris]] of the [[State Science Institute]] did not plead; he threatened. Specifically he threatened to institute a program of executions of "unproductive citizens," a program he said would be necessary if Galt did not cooperate. [[Mr. Thompson]] was horrified and said that Ferris was not serious. Galt was having none of that. He said, {{cquote|Oh yes, he did mean it. Tell that [illegitimate son] to look at me, and then look in the mirror, and ask himself whether I could ever think that ''my'' moral stature was at the mercy of ''his'' actions.}}

The last person to see Galt, and this at Galt's seemingly incongruous request, was his former chairman of [[physics]] at PHU, Dr. [[Robert Stadler]], now the (nominal) Director of the State Science Institute. Galt said nothing; he merely allowed Stadler to babble at him about how much he wanted a laboratory and what he could have done with it. But Stadler talked too much, and revealed his conclusion that Galt was now the man who had to be destroyed. Stadler tried to take that back, but Galt said to him, {{cquote|You have said everything that I wanted to say to you.}}

The last person to see Galt, and this at Galt's seemingly incongruous request, was his former chairman of [[physics]] at PHU, Dr. [[Robert Stadler]], now the (nominal) Director of the State Science Institute. Galt said nothing; he merely allowed Stadler to babble at him about how much he wanted a laboratory and what he could have done with it. But Stadler talked too much, and revealed his conclusion that Galt was now the man who had to be destroyed. Stadler tried to take that back, but Galt said to him, {{cquote|You have said everything that I wanted to say to you.}}