1984

           ‘Butyoudonot! Youarenotevenmastersofthisplanet. WhataboutEurasiaandEastasia? Youhavenotconqueredthemyet.’ 

           ‘Unimportant. Weshallconquerthemwhenitsuitsus. Andifwedidnot,whatdifferencewoulditmake? Wecanshutthemoutofexistence. Oceaniaistheworld.’ 

           ‘Buttheworlditselfisonlyaspeckofdust. Andmanistiny—helpless! Howlonghashebeeninexistence? Formillionsofyearstheearthwasuninhabited.’ 

           ‘Nonsense. Theearthisasoldasweare,noolder. Howcoulditbeolder? Nothingexistsexceptthroughhumanconsciousness.’ 

           ‘Buttherocksarefullofthebonesofextinctanimals—mammothsandmastodonsandenormousreptileswhichlivedherelongbeforemanwaseverheardof.’ 

           ‘Haveyoueverseenthosebones,Winston? Ofcoursenot. Nineteenth-centurybiologistsinventedthem. Beforemantherewasnothing. Afterman,ifhecouldcometoanend,therewouldbenothing. Outsidemanthereisnothing.’ 

           ‘Butthewholeuniverseisoutsideus. Lookatthestars! Someofthemareamillionlight-yearsaway. Theyareoutofourreachforever.’ 

           ‘Whatarethestars?’saidO’Brienindifferently. ‘Theyarebitsoffireafewkilometresaway. Wecouldreachthemifwewantedto. Orwecouldblotthemout. Theearthisthecentreoftheuniverse. Thesunandthestarsgoroundit.’