1984

           Atfiveminutespastthehourthegirlhadstillnotappeared. AgaintheterriblefearseizeduponWinston. Shewasnotcoming,shehadchangedhermind! Hewalkedslowlyuptothenorthsideofthesquareandgotasortofpale-colouredpleasurefromidentifyingStMartin’sChurch,whosebells,whenithadbells,hadchimed ‘Youowemethreefarthings.’ Thenhesawthegirlstandingatthebaseofthemonument,readingorpretendingtoreadaposterwhichranspirallyupthecolumn. Itwasnotsafetogonearheruntilsomemorepeoplehadaccumulated. Thereweretelescreensallroundthepediment. Butatthismomenttherewasadinofshoutingandazoomofheavyvehiclesfromsomewheretotheleft. Suddenlyeveryoneseemedtoberunningacrossthesquare. Thegirlnippednimblyroundthelionsatthebaseofthemonumentandjoinedintherush. Winstonfollowed. Asheran,hegatheredfromsomeshoutedremarksthataconvoyofEurasianprisonerswaspassing. 

           Alreadyadensemassofpeoplewasblockingthesouthsideofthesquare. Winston,atnormaltimesthekindofpersonwhogravitatestotheouteredgeofanykindofscrimmage,shoved,butted,squirmedhiswayforwardintotheheartofthecrowd. Soonhewaswithinarm’slengthofthegirl,butthewaywasblockedbyanenormousproleandanalmostequallyenormouswoman,presumablyhiswife,whoseemedtoformanimpenetrablewallofflesh. Winstonwriggledhimselfsideways,andwithaviolentlungemanagedtodrivehisshoulderbetweenthem. Foramomentitfeltasthoughhisentrailswerebeinggroundtopulpbetweenthetwomuscularhips,thenhehadbrokenthrough,sweatingalittle. Hewasnexttothegirl.Theywereshouldertoshoulder,bothstaringfixedlyinfrontofthem.