1984

           AgainWinston’sheartstirredpainfully. ItwasinconceivablethatthiswasanythingotherthanareferencetoSyme. ButSymewasnotonlydead,hewasabolished,anunperson. Anyidentifiablereferencetohimwouldhavebeenmortallydangerous. O’Brien’sremarkmustobviouslyhavebeenintendedasasignal,acodeword. Bysharingasmallactofthoughtcrimehehadturnedthetwoofthemintoaccomplices. Theyhadcontinuedtostrollslowlydownthecorridor,butnowO’Brienhalted. Withthecurious,disarmingfriendlinessthathealwaysmanagedtoputintothegestureheresettledhisspectaclesonhisnose.Thenhewenton: 

           ‘WhatIhadreallyintendedtosaywasthatinyourarticleInoticedyouhadusedtwowordswhichhavebecomeobsolete. Buttheyhaveonlybecomesoveryrecently. HaveyouseenthetentheditionoftheNewspeakDictionary?’ 

           ‘No,’saidWinston. ‘Ididn’tthinkithadbeenissuedyet. WearestillusingtheninthintheRecordsDepartment.’ 

           ‘Thetentheditionisnotduetoappearforsomemonths,Ibelieve. Butafewadvancecopieshavebeencirculated. Ihaveonemyself. Itmightinterestyoutolookatit,perhaps?’ 

           ‘Verymuchso,’saidWinston,immediatelyseeingwherethistended. 

           ‘Someofthenewdevelopmentsaremostingenious.Thereductioninthenumberofverbs—thatisthepointthatwillappealtoyou,Ithink. Letmesee,shallIsendamessengertoyouwiththedictionary? ButIamafraidIinvariablyforgetanythingofthatkind. Perhapsyoucouldpickitupatmyflatatsometimethatsuitedyou? Wait.Letmegiveyoumyaddress.’