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Line 109:
Line 109: − Following the disastrous meeting with Dagny and Rearden, the one in which Rearden had slapped him across the face in a jealous rage, Francisco prepared to take his annual one-month vacation in [[Galt's Gulch]]. By now the Gulch was almost self-sufficient; Midas Mulligan bought a limited number of goods, possibly including [[steel]], from the outside. (Where he got them, the novel never says, but he might have gotten them from the same [[black market]]eers who bought their goods from none other than Ragnar Danneskjöld.)+ − But on May 31, Francisco then heard the dreadful news that [[Dagny Taggart]] was overdue to return to an airfield in Colorado, and was missing and presumed lost in the mountains. Francisco delayed his usual coming to the Gulch for days while he searched the mountains for the wreckage of her aircraft. Finally he could stay away no longer, and came to the Gulch to pay his respects to John Galt. Then Galt surprised him by saying that he had a [[scab]] staying in his house. This was something that Francisco positively had to see. He was shocked to discover that the "scab" was Dagny herself. She had indeed crash-landed, ''in the Gulch,'' after trying to follow one of John Galt's recruitment flights—but now that he had found her alive, he was able to call off his search and remain in the Gulch for the rest of June.+ + + + +
→The scab
== The scab ==
== The scab ==
Francisco did not let matters rest. On the night after Dagny rushed back to New York, Francisco came to see here there. He said that he would not try to recruit her again, but dropped a hint: "All our roads lead to Atlantis."
Just then, Henry Rearden came to see Dagny, and found Francisco there. The two men had an argument, during which Rearden abruptly asked Francisco whether Dagny Taggart was "the woman he loved." Francisco nodded. Rearden then hauled off and slapped Francisco in a jealous rage. It took all the iron self-control that Francisco could muster to stop himself from striking Rearden in retaliation—for Francisco knew that once he joined such a battle, he would end up killing Rearden. And that was the one thing he did not want to do.
Francisco left Dagny's apartment and returned to his rooms at the Wayne-Falkland. He was preparing to take his annual one-month vacation in [[Galt's Gulch]]. By now the Gulch was almost self-sufficient; Midas Mulligan bought a limited number of goods, possibly including [[steel]], from the outside. (Where he got them, the novel never says, but he might have gotten them from the same [[black market]]eers who bought their goods from none other than Ragnar Danneskjöld.)
Three days later (May 31), Francisco heard the dreadful news that [[Dagny Taggart]] was overdue to return to an airfield in Colorado, and was missing and presumed lost in the mountains. Francisco delayed his usual coming to the Gulch for days while he searched the mountains for the wreckage of her aircraft. Finally he could stay away no longer, and came to the Gulch to pay his respects to John Galt. Then Galt surprised him by saying that he had a [[scab]] staying in his house. This was something that Francisco positively had to see. He was shocked to discover that the "scab" was Dagny herself. She had indeed crash-landed, ''in the Gulch,'' after trying to follow one of John Galt's recruitment flights—but now that he had found her alive, he was able to call off his search and remain in the Gulch for the rest of June.
During Dagny's stay in the Gulch, Francisco gave her a tour of D'Anconia Copper Number One. Dagny observed that he transported his copper ore to the valley floor on [[mule]]back, and suggested that he build a railroad instead. At first he protested that laying rail would be too expensive, but Dagny said with complete confidence that she could build a railroad easily and inexpensively. But in the middle of her presentation, she lamented that she could not lay such a short stretch of rail and abandon an entire transcontinental system.
During Dagny's stay in the Gulch, Francisco gave her a tour of D'Anconia Copper Number One. Dagny observed that he transported his copper ore to the valley floor on [[mule]]back, and suggested that he build a railroad instead. At first he protested that laying rail would be too expensive, but Dagny said with complete confidence that she could build a railroad easily and inexpensively. But in the middle of her presentation, she lamented that she could not lay such a short stretch of rail and abandon an entire transcontinental system.