Changes

== The collapse ==

== The collapse ==

On November 22, [[John Galt]] made his famous three-hour speech to the nation, this following the arrival of [[Henry Rearden]] in the valley. Later that year, John Galt was arrested and held incommunicado for about a week in New York. Francisco d'Anconia immediately organized an espionage network to track John Galt's whereabouts, and Ragnar Danneskjold organized a rescue operation in which half the male population of the valley participated, including Henry Rearden. The rescue was a success, the only casualty being Rearden, who suffered a flesh wound. But even more to the point, [[Dagny Taggart]] at last joined the strike and even participated in the rescue operation.

On November 5, [[John Galt]] returned to the valley—with [[Henry Rearden]] as a passenger. That evening, Midas again hosted a "welcome-home dinner" for Rearden. Rearden was obviously ready to go: he spent half the evening taking orders for Rearden Metal. Midas noted, with no small amount of anger, that Rearden wore a bandage on his head. Rearden waved off Midas' solicitude, saying, "Business, Midas. Business as usual, as they used to insult us with on the outside."

 

The next day, Midas turned over to Rearden a bankbook listing the very tidy sum that [[Ragnar Danneskjold]] had deposited in the Mulligan Bank in Rearden's name. It was the largest of the "vindication accounts" that Danneskjold had opened. Midas also bought back the gold bar that Rearden had brought with him, in exchange for a hefty supply of [[gold]] and [[silver]] coin.

 

Rearden did not waste time. He bought a vast tract of land that would become the new Rearden Steel, plus another tract that he called his "company subdivision." When [[Francisco d'Anconia]] landed in the valley with five of Rearden's former employees aboard, Midas understood the second purchase that Rearden had made.

 

On November 15, Ragnar Danneskjold returned to the valley, with his entire crew in tow. Danneskjold made another gold deposit in the Mulligan Bank, and told Midas that this would be his last. Midas was immensely relieved—but Danneskjold, as usual, said, "Forget it, Midas."

 

But when John Galt announced an acceleration in the special lecture series he had begun ten days earlier, Midas knew that something was up. He asked Galt about it, but Galt refused to tell him.

 

Then on November 22, [[John Galt]] made his famous three-hour speech to the nation. The next day, Galt went back to [[New York City]]. Again Midas tried to tell Galt not to go; again Galt went anyway. Midas could tell that Francisco knew why Galt would act so rashly—but Francisco wasn't telling, either.

 

Three months passed, during which time Henry Rearden brought the New Rearden Steel on-line and took from Midas the last of his markets for [[black market]] goods—in this case, steel. Midas would not compete with Rearden Metal. That was one market that Midas was glad to lose.

 

And then John Galt was arrested and held incommunicado.

 

Ragnar Danneskjold organized half the men in the valley, including Henry Rearden, as the Galt's Gulch Air and Land Militia. Its mission: to rescue John Galt. Mulligan stayed behind and held the fort. Weeks later, to Mulligan's tremendous relief, the Militia returned—with Galt, and with [[Dagny Taggart]].

== Aftermath ==

== Aftermath ==