1984

           That’sthedetailthatappealstome.’ 

           ‘Nex’,please! ’yelledthewhite-apronedprolewiththeladle. 

           WinstonandSymepushedtheirtraysbeneaththegrille. Ontoeachwasdumpedswiftlytheregulationlunch —ametalpannikinofpinkish-greystew,ahunkofbread,acubeofcheese,amugofmilklessVictoryCoffee,andonesaccharinetablet. 

           ‘There’satableoverthere,underthattelescreen,’saidSyme. ‘Let’spickupaginontheway.’ 

           Theginwasservedouttotheminhandlelesschinamugs. Theythreadedtheirwayacrossthecrowdedroomandunpackedtheirtraysontothemetal-toppedtable, ononecornerofwhichsomeonehadleftapoolofstew,afilthyliquidmessthathadtheappearanceofvomit. Winstontookuphismugofgin,pausedforaninstanttocollecthisnerve,andgulpedtheoily-tastingstuffdown. Whenhehadwinkedthetearsoutofhiseyeshesuddenlydiscoveredthathewashungry. Hebeganswallowingspoonfulsofthestew,which,inamongitsgeneralsloppiness,hadcubesofspongypinkishstuffwhichwasprobablyapreparationofmeat. Neitherofthemspokeagaintilltheyhademptiedtheirpannikins. FromthetableatWinston’sleft,alittlebehindhisback,someonewastalkingrapidlyandcontinuously,aharshgabble almostlikethequackingofaduck,whichpiercedthegeneraluproaroftheroom. 

           ‘HowistheDictionarygettingon? ’saidWinston,raisinghisvoicetoovercomethenoise.