1984

           Nosuchlistexists. TheBrotherhoodcannotbewipedoutbecauseitisnotanorganizationintheordinarysense. Nothingholdsittogetherexceptanideawhichisindestructible. Youwillneverhaveanythingtosustainyou,excepttheidea. Youwillgetnocomradeshipandnoencouragement. Whenfinallyyouarecaught,youwillgetnohelp. Weneverhelpourmembers. Atmost,whenitisabsolutelynecessarythatsomeoneshouldbesilenced,weareoccasionallyabletosmugglearazorbladeintoaprisoner’scell. Youwillhavetogetusedtolivingwithoutresultsandwithouthope. Youwillworkforawhile,youwillbecaught,youwillconfess,andthenyouwilldie. Thosearetheonlyresultsthatyouwilleversee. Thereisnopossibilitythatanyperceptiblechangewillhappenwithinourownlifetime. Wearethedead. Ouronlytruelifeisinthefuture. Weshalltakepartinitashandfulsofdustandsplintersofbone. Buthowfarawaythatfuturemaybe,thereisnoknowing. Itmightbeathousandyears. Atpresentnothingispossibleexcepttoextendtheareaofsanitylittlebylittle. Wecannotactcollectively. Wecanonlyspreadourknowledgeoutwardsfromindividualtoindividual,generationaftergeneration. InthefaceoftheThoughtPolicethereisnootherway.’ 

           Hehaltedandlookedforthethirdtimeathiswrist-watch. 

           ‘Itisalmosttimeforyoutoleave,comrade,’hesaidtoJulia. ‘Wait.Thedecanterisstillhalffull.’ 

           Hefilledtheglassesandraisedhisownglassbythestem. 

           ‘Whatshallitbethistime?’hesaid,stillwiththesamefaintsuggestionofirony. ‘TotheconfusionoftheThoughtPolice? TothedeathofBigBrother? Tohumanity? Tothefuture?’