Dagny sat in her office. James walked in holding a newspaper. He hated looking at the picture of his ancestor, the railroad builder on the wall and always avoided standing in front of it. When he did he felt he was surrounded by condemning eyes.

"The problem Dagny is you have no social conscience. The experts have declared that man-made global warming is harming the planet. Our railroads have been targeted as a major source of CO2. The boys are talking about a new order that restricts all new CO2 sources. The big railroads are supposed to have no more runs than the smallest railroad. I've offered to cut traffic on our Colorado line by 1/3, matching the number Dan Conway's Durango line makes. That ought to keep Wesley Mouch satisfied for awhile."

Dagny turned with astonishment.

"You what? The Colorado line is our most profitable line! We're shipping Rearden metal out every day to Ellis Wyat as he puts up new wells. That's the one line we can least afford to cut back on. Half the growth in Colorado depends on us!"

James did his best to look hurt, but underneath he was smiling. He knew the Colorado line was her favorite.

"See. No, social conscience. What did you want me to do? I had to offer them something!" James started shrieking and his face became contorted "ALL the papers are talking about man-made global warming and how something needs to be done. Dr. Ferris at the State Science Institute has written a book about it. All of your friends are going to be crucified - Rearden and his metal plants worst of all. You don't appreciate what I do here. By offering the reduction in the Colorado line Dr. Ferris has agreed not to mention our railroad by name in his book. Popular sentiment is a powerful thing Dagny! You should be thanking me! If our railroad was mentioned in the book, things would be far worse. Why Mouch mentioned they intend to shut down Rearden steel entirely! Too much CO2!"

Dagny had been looking at her brother with incredulity, her face almost expressionless. Only with this last line did some new pain register and mar her delicate features.

"The fools!"

Eddie Willers had been sitting in the corner of Dagny's office, listening to the exchange he watched James turn and walk out.

"Dagny, what do you want me to do?"

"Get on the horn and tell Rearden, Wyatt and that there is a new directive in the works. Tell him everything you heard here."

"What are we going to do about the Colorado line?"

"We are going to run it like we've always been running it. If we have to cut a run, we'll divide the cars and add them to our other runs. Divvy up the weight of the freight cars and tell Kellogg to distribute them evenly among the rest."

Eddie looked at her and smiled. Her confidence in the face of the enemy always inspired him. He thought of something, something that seemed on the face of it ridiculous.

"Dagny, if we cut back more than one run - won't Dan Conway be forced to take up the slack? And his coal burners put out five times as much CO2 as our Diesels. Does that make any sort of sense? If he increases his traffic the effect of the directive would be that CO2 actually increases."

Dagny turned to Eddie. "Eddie...do you really think they care?"

Eddie smiled. He knew the answer. As Dagny looked at him, for a brief moment she allowed herself to smile too.