О дивный новый мир

           Leninasuddenlyrememberedanoccasionwhen,asalittlegirlatschool,shehadwokenupinthemiddleofthenightandbecomeaware,forthefirsttime,ofthewhisperingthathadhauntedallhersleeps.Shesawagainthebeamofmoonlight,therowofsmallwhitebeds;heardoncemorethesoft,softvoicethatsaid(thewordswerethere,unforgotten,unforgettableaftersomanynight-longrepetitions):"Everyoneworksforeveryoneelse.Wecan’tdowithoutanyone.EvenEpsilonsareuseful.Wecouldn’tdowithoutEpsilons.Everyoneworksforeveryoneelse.Wecan’tdowithoutanyone..."Leninarememberedherfirstshockoffearandsurprise;herspeculationsthroughhalfawakefulhour;andthen,undertheinfluenceofthoseendlessrepetitions,thegradualsoothingofhermind,thesoothing,thesmoothing,thestealthycreepingofsleep....

           "IsupposeEpsilonsdon’treallymindbeingEpsilons,"shesaidaloud.

           "Ofcoursetheydon’t.Howcanthey?Theydon’tknowwhatit’slikebeinganythingelse.We’dmind,ofcourse.Butthenwe’vebeendifferentlyconditioned.Besides,westartwithadifferentheredity."

           "I’mgladI’mnotanEpsilon,"saidLenina,withconviction.

           "AndifyouwereanEpsilon,"saidHenry,"yourconditioningwouldhavemadeyounolessthankfulthatyouweren’taBetaoranAlpha."HeputhisforwardpropellerintogearandheadedthemachinetowardsLondon.Behindthem,inthewest,thecrimsonandorangewerealmostfaded;adarkbankofcloudhadcreptintothezenith.