Siteadmin, Check users, Administrators
12,071
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 107:
Line 107: − + − + + + + +
→The scab
== The scab ==
== The scab ==
On the night of May 28, 2019, Eddie Willers let slip to Galt that an engineer named [[Quentin Daniels]] was attempting to reverse-engineer his electrostatic motor. Galt also discovered that Daniels had abruptly refused to accept any remuneration for any continued work, because any remuneration he received would merely be subject to [[tax]], and he had no wish to support "the looters" by paying any more taxes.
On or about the night of May 22, 2019, Eddie Willers let slip to Galt that Dagny Taggart had abruptly quit the railroad following the promulgation of [[Directive 10-289]]. Galt pumped Willers further and from him learned Dagny's precise location. Galt passed this on to Francisco d'Anconia, saying that Francisco had "earned" the chance to rekindle his old romance with Dagny, a thing that Galt had learned from Francisco twelve years earlier.
Galt learned something else in that conversation: that Dagny Taggart had been having an affair with [[Henry Rearden]]. At that news, Galt abruptly stood up and left the cafeteria without finishing his meal. He would never see Eddie Willers again.
On May 28, Dagny was back at her office in New York. Galt waited in the Terminal cafeteria for Willers to appear, and had to wait unusually long—because Willers had seen Dagny off on the Taggart Comet. Willers revealed the reason for Dagny's abrupt departure: an engineer named [[Quentin Daniels]] had attempted to reverse-engineer his electrostatic motor, but now had abruptly refused to work on the motor any further. His reasons: he did not wish to work for a society that regarded him as a slave, and would not martyr himself to a society to whom he might give an "inestimable benefit."
When Galt heard those words, he laughed. Willers asked for an explanation, and he gave it: that Quentin Daniels had figured out, for himself, "the whole secret." By which Galt meant (though he did not say this out loud to Willers) that Daniels had worked out, independently of Galt, the very reason that Galt had called his strike.
But that was not what was clearly troubling Eddie Willers. Galt pressed further, and then learned something that devastated him: that Dagny Taggart had been having an affair with [[Henry Rearden]]. At that news, Galt abruptly stood up and left the cafeteria without finishing his meal. He would never see Eddie Willers again.
Galt first waited outside the Wayne-Falkland Hotel to spot Rearden coming out of a meeting of the nation's industrialists. Galt watched Rearden, saw his supreme self-confidence, and for a split second saw the scene out of context and wondered whether he, Galt, had made a mistake in calling the strike. The moment swiftly passed, and Galt recognized again that Rearden was still soldiering on, as far as ever from realizing that going on strike would be the best thing he could do. Still, Galt was determined to recruit him. Galt also put aside his envy of Rearden's intimacy with Dagny. Indeed, Dagny Taggart would never have chosen any other man to have an affair with.
Galt first waited outside the Wayne-Falkland Hotel to spot Rearden coming out of a meeting of the nation's industrialists. Galt watched Rearden, saw his supreme self-confidence, and for a split second saw the scene out of context and wondered whether he, Galt, had made a mistake in calling the strike. The moment swiftly passed, and Galt recognized again that Rearden was still soldiering on, as far as ever from realizing that going on strike would be the best thing he could do. Still, Galt was determined to recruit him. Galt also put aside his envy of Rearden's intimacy with Dagny. Indeed, Dagny Taggart would never have chosen any other man to have an affair with.