1984

           Whentheymetinthechurchtowerthegapsintheirfragmentaryconversationwerefilledup. Itwasablazingafternoon. Theairinthelittlesquarechamberabovethebellswashotandstagnant,andsmeltoverpoweringlyofpigeondung. Theysattalkingforhoursonthedusty,twig-litteredfloor,oneorotherofthemgettingupfromtimetotimetocastaglancethroughthearrowslitsandmakesurethatnoonewascoming. 

           Juliawastwenty-sixyearsold. Shelivedinahostelwiththirtyothergirls (‘Alwaysinthestinkofwomen!HowIhatewomen!’shesaidparenthetically),andsheworked,ashehadguessed,onthenovel-writingmachinesintheFictionDepartment. Sheenjoyedherwork,whichconsistedchieflyinrunningandservicingapowerfulbuttrickyelectricmotor. Shewas‘notclever’,butwasfondofusingherhandsandfeltathomewithmachinery. Shecoulddescribethewholeprocessofcomposinganovel,fromthegeneraldirectiveissuedbythePlanningCommitteedowntothefinaltouching-upbytheRewriteSquad. Butshewasnotinterestedinthefinishedproduct. She‘didn’tmuchcareforreading,’shesaid. Bookswerejustacommoditythathadtobeproduced,likejamorbootlaces. 

           ShehadnomemoriesofanythingbeforetheearlysixtiesandtheonlypersonshehadeverknownwhotalkedfrequentlyofthedaysbeforetheRevolutionwasagrandfatherwhohaddisappearedwhenshewaseight. Atschoolshehadbeencaptainofthehockeyteamandhadwonthegymnasticstrophytwoyearsrunning. Shehadbeenatroop-leaderintheSpiesandabranchsecretaryintheYouthLeaguebeforejoiningtheJuniorAnti-SexLeague. Shehadalwaysborneanexcellentcharacter. Shehadeven(aninfalliblemarkofgoodreputation)beenpickedouttoworkinPornosec,thesub-sectionoftheFictionDepartmentwhichturnedoutcheappornographyfordistributionamongtheproles.