Atlas Shrugged [417]
"You know that I will always give you that chance, Miss Taggart."
"I'm leaving for Utah at once. Tonight. But there's one thing I want you to promise me. Will you promise to wait for me? Will you promise to be there when I arrive?"
"Why . . . of course, Miss Taggart. Unless I die or something happens outside my power-but I don't expect it to happen."
"Unless you die, will you wait for me no matter what happens?"
"Of course."
"Do you give me your word that you'll wait?"
"Yes, Miss Taggart."
"Thank you. Good night."
"Good night, Miss Taggart."
She pressed the receiver down and picked it up again in the same sweep of her hand and rapidly dialed a number.
"Eddie? . . . Have them hold the Comet for me. . . . Yes, tonight's Comet. Give orders to have my car attached, then come here, to my place, at once," She glanced at her watch. "It's eight-twelve. I have an hour to make it. I don't think I'll hold them up too long. I'll talk to you while I pack."
She hung up and turned to Rearden.
"Tonight?" he said.
"I have to."
"I guess so. Don't you have to go to Colorado, anyway?"
"Yes. I intended to leave tomorrow night. But I think Eddie can manage to take care of my office, and I'd better start now. It takes three days"-she remembered-"it will now take five days to reach Utah.
I have to go by train, there are people I have to see on the line-this can't be delayed, either."
"How long will you stay in Colorado?"
"Hard to tell."
"Wire me when you get there, will you? If it looks as if it's going to be long, I'll join you there."
This was the only expression he could give to the words he had desperately wished to say to her, had waited for, had come here to say, and now wished to pronounce more than ever, but knew that it must not be said tonight.
She knew, by a faint, solemn stress in the tone of his voice, that this was his acceptance of her confession, his surrender, his forgiveness. She asked, "Can you leave the mills?"
"It will take me a few days to arrange, but I can."
He knew what her words were admitting, acknowledging and forgiving him, when she said, "Hank, why don't you meet me in Colorado in a week? If you fly your plane, we'll both get there at the same time. And then we'll come back together."
"All right . . . dearest."
She dictated a list of instructions, while pacing her bedroom, gathering her clothes, hastily packing a suitcase. Rearden had left; Eddie Willers sat at her dressing table, making notes. He seemed to work in his usual manner of unquestioning efficiency, as if he were not aware of the perfume bottles and powder boxes, as if the dressing table were a desk and the room were only an office.
'I'll phone you from Chicago, Omaha, Flagstaff and Afton," she said, tossing underwear into the suitcase. "If you need me in between, call any operator along the line, with orders to flag the train."
"The Comet?" he asked mildly.
"Hell, yes!-the Comet."
"Okay."
"Don't hesitate to call, if you have to."
"Okay. But I don't think I'll have to."
"We'll manage. We'll work by long-distance phone, just as we did when we-" She stopped.
"-when we were building the John Galt Line?" he asked quietly.
They glanced at each other, but said nothing else.
"What's the latest report on the construction crews?" she asked.
"Everything's under way. I got word, just after you left the office, that the grading gangs have started-out of Laurel, Kansas, and out of Jasper, Oklahoma. The rail is on its way to them from Silver Springs.
It will be all right. The hardest thing to find was-M
"The men?"
"Yes. The men to put in charge. We had trouble out West, over the Elgin to Midland stretch. All the men we were counting on are gone. I couldn't find anyone able to assume responsibility, neither on our line nor elsewhere. I even tried to get Dan Conway, but-"
"Dan Conway?" she asked, stopping.
"Yes. I did. I tried. Do you remember how he used to have rail laid at the rate of five miles a day, right in that part of the country? Oh, I know he'd have