Changes

== John Galt ==

== John Galt ==

In the end of May 1929 (assuming, as is likely, that the [[Atlas Shrugged#Time setting|strike began in 1917]]), a young but no-nonsense man came to see him. He introduced himself as [[John Galt]] and showed Daniels that he was in fact the original inventor of the motor. The novel gives no details of their conversation, but the narrative strongly implies that John Galt showed Daniels that he knew how he felt about paying income taxes in a "looters' society" (so much so that he would work without remuneration to avoid paying them) and that if he ''really'' wanted to hurt the system, then he must withdraw from it entirely and ''not'' share the secret of the motor with the world. John Galt would not (and indeed could not) have threatened to prosecute Daniels for [[patent]] infringement, because John Galt had not obtained a patent on the motor (and probably would not until the post-strike [[militia]] coalition was able to reactivate the [[United States Patent Office]]). But he might have indicated to Daniels that he ought not attempt to reconstruct another man's work, for that would be tantamount to [[plagiarism]].

In the end of May 1929 (assuming, as is likely, that the [[Atlas Shrugged#Time setting|strike began in 1917]]), a young but no-nonsense man came to see him in his laboratory. At first Daniels ignored him, until the man abruptly erased his blackboard and wrote one single mathematical equation on it. Daniels realized, with a shock, that that equation was the key to making electrostatic motors practical. Daniels demanded to know how his visitor knew this. The visitor's reply: {{cquote|I'm the man who made it in the first place.}}

 

The visitor then introduced himself as [[John Galt]] and proved conclusively to Daniels that he was in fact the original inventor of the motor. Several minutes of discussions of theoretical physics later, Galt asked Daniels directly whether he was willing to follow Galt to a new existence and leave behind everything he knew of the old.

 

John Galt would not (and indeed could not) have threatened to prosecute Daniels for [[patent]] infringement, because John Galt had not obtained a patent on the motor (and probably would not until the post-strike [[militia]] coalition was able to reactivate the [[United States Patent Office]]). Nor did he even criticize Daniels for an offense tantamount to [[plagiarism]]. But Daniels found his argument so persuasive that he forgot that he had pledged to Dagny that he would wait until she had a chance to see him in person. In fact, he forgot to mention to Galt that Dagny was on her way. That would have a result that was very nearly disastrous.

== Flight to the Gulch ==

== Flight to the Gulch ==