The Fountainhead p. 654-663

In this section Wayward meets with the Banner board, where they try to get him to give in to the demands of the Union before the Banner collapses. They argue with Wayward over the issue and the purpose of the strike not being important enough to lose money over, and the dislike with Wayward owning 51% of the business so no one else has a say in how its run. In the end Wayward gives in to their demands, breaking for the first time, on all of the issues but one: the re-hiring of Ellsworth. He would not cede that to him but let them reverse the Cortlandt position, and take the other two writers back. “He thought about the moment in his bedroom when he had almost pulled the trigger. He knew he was pulling it now” (Rand, 658). Wayward giving in to the demand of society was the same as how he always did what others wanted in the pursuit of power, but now he knows that he can never defy the public opinion or his power disappears and he will not be able to defend Roark or anything else he holds sacred. In the end he is aimlessly walking the streets, thinking, “Anything may be betrayed, anyone may be forgiven. But not those who lack the courage of their own greatness. Alvah Scarret can be forgiven. He had nothing to betray. Mitchell Layton can be forgiven. But not I. I was not born to be a second-hander” (Rand, 663)