1984 - Planet eBook

a bluebell out of her hair. She sat against him, putting herarm round his waist.‘Never mind, dear. There’s no hurry. We’ve got the wholeafternoon. Isn’t this a splendid hide-out? I found it when Igot lost once on a community hike. If anyone was comingyou could hear them a hundred metres away.’‘What is your name?’ said Winston.‘Julia. I know yours. It’s Winston—Winston Smith.’‘How did you find that out?’‘I expect I’m better at finding things out than you are,dear. Tell me, what did you think of me before that day Igave you the note?’He did not feel any temptation to tell lies to her. It waseven a sort of love-offering to start off by telling the worst.‘I hated the sight of you,’ he said. ‘I wanted to rape youand then murder you afterwards. Two weeks ago I thoughtseriously of smashing your head in with a cobblestone. Ifyou really want to know, I imagined that you had somethingto do with the Thought Police.’The girl laughed delightedly, evidently taking this as atribute to the excellence of her disguise.‘Not the Thought Police! You didn’t honestly think that?’‘Well, perhaps not exactly that. But from your generalappearance—merely because you’re young and fresh andhealthy, you understand—I thought that probably——’‘You thought I was a good Party member. Pure in wordand deed. Banners, processions, slogans, games, communityhikes all that stuff. And you thought that if I had aquarter of a chance I’d denounce you as a thought-criminal