1984

           Theywerepassinginsilencedownaside-street(Juliawouldneverspeakwhentheywereawayfromthemainstreets)whentherewasadeafeningroar,theearthheaved,andtheairdarkened,andWinstonfoundhimselflyingonhisside,bruisedandterrified. Arocketbombmusthavedroppedquitenearathand. SuddenlyhebecameawareofJulia’sfaceafewcentimetresfromhisown,deathlywhite,aswhiteaschalk. Evenherlipswerewhite. Shewasdead! Heclaspedheragainsthimandfoundthathewaskissingalivewarmface. Buttherewassomepowderystuffthatgotinthewayofhislips. Bothoftheirfaceswerethicklycoatedwithplaster. 

           Therewereeveningswhentheyreachedtheirrendezvousandthenhadtowalkpastoneanotherwithoutasign,becauseapatrolhadjustcomeroundthecornerorahelicopterwashoveringoverhead. Evenifithadbeenlessdangerous,itwouldstillhavebeendifficulttofindtimetomeet. Winston’sworkingweekwassixtyhours,Julia’swasevenlonger,andtheirfreedaysvariedaccordingtothepressureofworkanddidnotoftencoincide. Julia,inanycase,seldomhadaneveningcompletelyfree. Shespentanastonishingamountoftimeinattendinglecturesanddemonstrations,distributingliteratureforthejuniorAnti-SexLeague,preparingbannersforHateWeek,makingcollectionsforthesavingscampaign,andsuch-likeactivities. Itpaid,shesaid,itwascamouflage. Ifyoukeptthesmallrules,youcouldbreakthebigones. SheeveninducedWinstontomortgageyetanotherofhiseveningsbyenrollinghimselfforthepart-timemunitionworkwhichwasdonevoluntarilybyzealousPartymembers. So,oneeveningeveryweek,Winstonspentfourhoursofparalysingboredom,screwingtogethersmallbitsofmetalwhichwereprobablypartsofbombfuses, inadraughty,ill-litworkshopwheretheknockingofhammersmingleddrearilywiththemusicofthetelescreens.