1984

           AndwhenhetoldherthataeroplaneshadbeeninexistencebeforehewasbornandlongbeforetheRevolution,thefactstruckherastotallyuninteresting. Afterall,whatdiditmatterwhohadinventedaeroplanes? ItwasrathermoreofashocktohimwhenhediscoveredfromsomechanceremarkthatshedidnotrememberthatOceania,fouryearsago,hadbeenatwarwithEastasiaandatpeacewithEurasia. Itwastruethatsheregardedthewholewarasasham: butapparentlyshehadnotevennoticedthatthenameoftheenemyhadchanged. ‘Ithoughtwe’dalwaysbeenatwarwithEurasia,’shesaidvaguely. Itfrightenedhimalittle. Theinventionofaeroplanesdatedfromlongbeforeherbirth,buttheswitchoverinthewarhadhappenedonlyfouryearsago,wellaftershewasgrownup. Hearguedwithheraboutitforperhapsaquarterofanhour. IntheendhesucceededinforcinghermemorybackuntilshediddimlyrecallthatatonetimeEastasiaandnotEurasiahadbeentheenemy. Buttheissuestillstruckherasunimportant. ‘Whocares?’shesaidimpatiently. ‘It’salwaysonebloodywarafteranother,andoneknowsthenewsisallliesanyway.’ 

           SometimeshetalkedtoheroftheRecordsDepartmentandtheimpudentforgeriesthathecommittedthere. Suchthingsdidnotappeartohorrifyher. Shedidnotfeeltheabyssopeningbeneathherfeetatthethoughtofliesbecomingtruths. HetoldherthestoryofJones,Aaronson,andRutherfordandthemomentousslipofpaperwhichhehadonceheldbetweenhisfingers. Itdidnotmakemuchimpressiononher. Atfirst,indeed,shefailedtograspthepointofthestory. 

           ‘Weretheyfriendsofyours?’shesaid. 

           ‘No,Ineverknewthem. TheywereInnerPartymembers. Besides,theywerefaroldermenthanIwas. Theybelongedtotheolddays,beforetheRevolution. Ibarelyknewthembysight.’