1984

           ‘Thenwhatwastheretoworryabout?Peoplearebeingkilledoffallthetime,aren’tthey?’ 

           Hetriedtomakeherunderstand. ‘Thiswasanexceptionalcase. Itwasn’tjustaquestionofsomebodybeingkilled. Doyourealizethatthepast,startingfromyesterday,hasbeenactuallyabolished? Ifitsurvivesanywhere,it’sinafewsolidobjectswithnowordsattachedtothem,likethatlumpofglassthere. AlreadyweknowalmostliterallynothingabouttheRevolutionandtheyearsbeforetheRevolution. Everyrecordhasbeendestroyedorfalsified,everybookhasbeenrewritten,everypicturehasbeenrepainted,everystatueandstreetandbuildinghasbeenrenamed,everydatehasbeenaltered. Andthatprocessiscontinuingdaybydayandminutebyminute. Historyhasstopped. NothingexistsexceptanendlesspresentinwhichthePartyisalwaysright. Iknow,ofcourse,thatthepastisfalsified,butitwouldneverbepossibleformetoproveit,evenwhenIdidthefalsificationmyself. Afterthethingisdone,noevidenceeverremains. Theonlyevidenceisinsidemyownmind,andIdon’tknowwithanycertaintythatanyotherhumanbeingsharesmymemories. Justinthatoneinstance,inmywholelife,Ididpossessactualconcreteevidenceaftertheevent—yearsafterit.’ 

           ‘Andwhatgoodwasthat?’ 

           ‘Itwasnogood,becauseIthrewitawayafewminuteslater. Butifthesamethinghappenedtoday,Ishouldkeepit.’ 

           ‘Well,Iwouldn’t!’saidJulia. ‘I’mquitereadytotakerisks,butonlyforsomethingworthwhile,notforbitsofoldnewspaper. Whatcouldyouhavedonewithitevenifyouhadkeptit?’