1984

           Forexample,theMinistryofPlenty’sforecasthadestimatedtheoutputofbootsforthequarterat145millionpairs. Theactualoutputwasgivenassixty-twomillions. Winston,however,inrewritingtheforecast,markedthefiguredowntofifty-sevenmillions,soastoallowfortheusualclaimthatthequotahadbeenoverfulfilled. Inanycase,sixty-twomillionswasnonearerthetruththanfifty-sevenmillions,orthan145millions. Verylikelynobootshadbeenproducedatall. Likelierstill,nobodyknewhowmanyhadbeenproduced,muchlesscared. Alloneknewwasthateveryquarterastronomicalnumbersofbootswereproducedonpaper,whileperhapshalfthepopulationofOceaniawentbarefoot. Andsoitwaswitheveryclassofrecordedfact,greatorsmall. Everythingfadedawayintoashadow-worldinwhich,finally,eventhedateoftheyearhadbecomeuncertain. 

           Winstonglancedacrossthehall. Inthecorrespondingcubicleontheothersideasmall,precise-looking,dark-chinnedmannamedTillotsonwasworkingsteadilyaway, withafoldednewspaperonhiskneeandhismouthveryclosetothemouthpieceofthespeakwrite. Hehadtheairoftryingtokeepwhathewassayingasecretbetweenhimselfandthetelescreen. Helookedup,andhisspectaclesdartedahostileflashinWinston’sdirection. 

           WinstonhardlyknewTillotson,andhadnoideawhatworkhewasemployedon. PeopleintheRecordsDepartmentdidnotreadilytalkabouttheirjobs. Inthelong,windowlesshall,withitsdoublerowofcubiclesanditsendlessrustleofpapersandhumofvoicesmurmuringintospeakwrites, therewerequiteadozenpeoplewhomWinstondidnotevenknowbyname,thoughhedailysawthemhurryingtoandfrointhecorridors orgesticulatingintheTwoMinutesHate.