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Line 118:
Line 118: − + − And then John Galt was arrested. Dagny Taggart gave every indication of having turned him in to the authorities in order to protect her railroad, but Francisco knew her better than that. He now had merely to wait for the final series of disasters to convince Dagny that any further "strikebreaking" was futile.+ Line 128:
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→The rescue of John Galt
== The rescue of John Galt ==
== The rescue of John Galt ==
On November 22, John Galt made his famous three-hour speech. The next day, against Francisco's advice, Galt went back to New York. Francisco was not a "nail biter," but if he ever came close to doing that, this was the time. Three months passed with no word from Galt, other than a gazette of sorts describing the decline and eventual shutdown of Rearden Steel. Francisco informed Rearden, who laughed at him and said, "Francisco, Rearden Steel is right here in this valley!" In fact, Francisco and Rearden collaborated on building a real truck road, so that Francisco could move his copper to the valley much faster. He needed to—because Rearden did indeed re-found Rearden Steel, with a blast furnace that poured Rearden Metal. The last of the dependencies on the outside world disappeared.
On November 22, John Galt made his famous three-hour speech. The next day, against Francisco's advice, Galt went back to New York. Francisco was not a "nail biter," but if he ever came close to doing that, this was the time. Three months passed with no word from Galt, other than a gazette of sorts describing the decline and eventual shutdown of Rearden Steel. Francisco informed Rearden, who laughed at him and said, "Francisco, Rearden Steel is right here in this valley!" In fact, Francisco and Rearden collaborated on building a real truck road, so that Francisco could move his copper to the valley much faster. He needed to—because Rearden did indeed re-found Rearden Steel, with a new kind of furnace that poured Rearden Metal. The last of the dependencies on the outside world disappeared.
On February 22, 1958, John Galt was arrested. Dagny Taggart gave every indication of having turned him in to the authorities in order to protect her railroad, but Francisco knew her better than that. He now had merely to wait for the final series of disasters to convince Dagny that any further "strikebreaking" was futile.
Ragnar Danneskjold was back in the Gulch by then, having put his privateering ship in "mothballs" in a Norwegian fjord and begun settling his crew in the valley. But with the news of Galt's arrest, the men in the valley cried out for leadership to get him back. Ragnar obliged. He organized the Galt's Gulch Air and Land Militia, with half the men in the valley participating, using every aircraft available. Francisco served as the chief of intelligence.
Ragnar Danneskjold was back in the Gulch by then, having put his privateering ship in "mothballs" in a Norwegian fjord and begun settling his crew in the valley. But with the news of Galt's arrest, the men in the valley cried out for leadership to get him back. Ragnar obliged. He organized the Galt's Gulch Air and Land Militia, with half the men in the valley participating, using every aircraft available. Francisco served as the chief of intelligence.
Francisco did not have to wait long. During the abortive presentation of the "John Galt Plan for Peace and Prosperity," John Galt made a rapid movement on a stage so that millions of people, watching on the still-new medium of [[television]], would see plainly that someone had been holding a [[gun]] on him. Galt then said, "Get...out of my way." After that, the authorities stopped transmission.
Francisco did not have to wait long. During the abortive presentation of the "John Galt Plan for Peace and Prosperity," John Galt made a rapid movement on a stage so that millions of people, watching on the still-new medium of [[television]], would see plainly that someone had been holding a [[gun]] on him. Galt then said, "Get...out of my way." After that, the authorities stopped transmission.
Dagny called Francisco almost immediately afterward. She warned him that the authorities were going to fly Galt to the [[State Science Institute]] campus near Lyme, [[New Hampshire]], and there put him to the torture. Francisco instructed Dagny to go back to her apartment, change clothes, pack up her jewelry, valuables, and some warm clothing, and meet him in forty minutes at a corner near the Terminal. En route to the rendez-vous point, Francisco noticed a number of people fleeing New York, with their personal belongings lashed to the roofs of their cars, after hearing that a malfunction at the notorious "Project X" had destroyed the Taggart Bridge across the [[Mississippi River]]. Dagny came to him on time, and, hand upraised, declaimed,{{cquote|I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.}}
Dagny called Francisco almost immediately afterward. She warned him that the authorities were going to fly Galt to the [[State Science Institute]] campus near Lyme, [[New Hampshire]], and there put him to the torture. Francisco instructed Dagny to go back to her apartment, change clothes, pack up her jewelry, valuables, and some warm clothing, and meet him in forty minutes at a corner near the Terminal. En route to the rendez-vous point, Francisco noticed a number of people fleeing New York, with their personal belongings lashed to the roofs of their cars. Dagny came to him on time, and, hand upraised, declaimed,{{cquote|I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.}}
Then Dagny told him why those people were in such a hurry to get out of the city: a malfunction at the notorious "Project X" had destroyed the [[Taggart Bridge]] across the [[Mississippi River]].
Dagny and Francisco got off Manhattan in a hurry, but not by the usual route. How they got to Francisco's aircraft, or even where that aircraft rested, the novel does not make clear. Obviously the entire Galt's Gulch Militia had to decamp with them.
Dagny and Francisco got off Manhattan in a hurry, but not by the usual route. How they got to Francisco's aircraft, or even where that aircraft rested, the novel does not make clear. Obviously the entire Galt's Gulch Militia had to decamp with them.