1984

           Hershorthairandboyishoverallsmerelyaddedtotheeffect. Ashetookherinhisarmsawaveofsyntheticvioletsfloodedhisnostrils. Herememberedthehalf-darknessofabasementkitchen,andawoman’scavernousmouth. Itwastheverysamescentthatshehadused;butatthemomentitdidnotseemtomatter. 

           ‘Scenttoo!’hesaid. 

           ‘Yes,dear,scenttoo. AnddoyouknowwhatI’mgoingtodonext? I’mgoingtogetholdofarealwoman’sfrockfromsomewhereandwearitinsteadofthesebloodytrousers. I’llwearsilkstockingsandhigh-heeledshoes! InthisroomI’mgoingtobeawoman,notaPartycomrade.’ 

           Theyflungtheirclothesoffandclimbedintothehugemahoganybed. Itwasthefirsttimethathehadstrippedhimselfnakedinherpresence. Untilnowhehadbeentoomuchashamedofhispaleandmeagrebody,withthevaricoseveinsstandingoutonhiscalvesandthediscolouredpatchoverhisankle. Therewerenosheets,buttheblankettheylayonwasthreadbareandsmooth,andthesizeandspringinessofthebedastonishedbothofthem. ‘It’ssuretobefullofbugs,butwhocares?’saidJulia. Oneneversawadoublebednowadays,exceptinthehomesoftheproles. Winstonhadoccasionallysleptinoneinhisboyhood:Juliahadneverbeeninonebefore,sofarasshecouldremember. 

           Presentlytheyfellasleepforalittlewhile. WhenWinstonwokeupthehandsoftheclockhadcreptroundtonearlynine. Hedidnotstir,becauseJuliawassleepingwithherheadinthecrookofhisarm. Mostofhermake-uphadtransferreditselftohisownfaceorthebolster,butalightstainofrougestillbroughtoutthebeautyofhercheekbone.