Atilla Shrugged

Only Eddie Willers’ side of the conversation can be heard.

Eddie Willers: “I feel like a fugitive.”

Eddie Willers: “I guess you know why I haven’t been here for months…”

listens…

Eddie Willers: “I’m supposed to be vice president now.”

listens…

Eddie Willers: “The vice president in charge of operations…”

listens…

Eddie Willers: “For God’s sake, don’t take it seriously.”

listens…

Eddie Willers: “I stood it for as long as I could, and then I had to escape, if only for one evening… the first time I came down here for dinner, after my alleged promotion, they all stared at me so much, I didn’t come back. Well, let them stare. You don’t. I’m glad it doesn’t make any difference to you…”

listens…

Eddie Willers: “No, I haven’t seen her for two weeks, but I speak to her on the phone every day, sometimes twice a day.”

Dagny Taggart, chained to her sense of duty.

listens…

Eddie Willers: “Yes, I know how she feels, she loves it. What is it we hear over the telephone — sound vibrations, isn’t it? Well, her voice sounds as if it were turning into light vibrations — if you know what I mean. She enjoys running that horrible battle singlehanded and winning…”

listens…

Eddie Willers: “Oh yes, she’s winning! Do you know why you haven’t read anything about the John Galt Line in the newspapers for some time? Because it’s going so well…”

listens…

Eddie Willers: “…Only…” pauses “…that Rearden Metal rail will be the greatest track ever built, but what will be the use if we don’t have any engines powerful enough to take advantage of it? Look at the kind of patched coal-burners we’ve got left — they can barely manage to drag themselves fast enough for old trolley-car rails…”

listens…

Eddie Willers: “Still, there’s hope The United Locomotive Works went bankrupt. That’s the best break we’ve had in the last few weeks, because their plant has been bought by Dwight Sanders. He’s a brilliant engineer who’s got the only good aircraft plant in the country. He had to sell the aircraft plant to his brother in order to take over the United Locomotive. That’s on account of the Equalization of Opportunity Bill.”

listens…

Eddie Willers: “Sure it’s just a setup between them, but can you blame him? Anyway, we’ll be seeing Diesels coming out of the United Locomotive Works now. Dwight Sanders will start things going…”

listens…

Eddie Willers: “…Yes, she’s counting on him. Why do you ask?”

listens…

Eddie Willers: “…Yes, he’s crucially important to us right now. We’ve just signed a contract with him, for the first ten Diesel engines he’ll build. When I phoned her that the contract was signed, she laughed and said, ‘You see, is there every any reason to be afraid?’”

transition to Prince Myshkin’s Villa…