1984 - Planet eBook

ing or squeaking, which seemed unconscious, came out ofhim. Then he rolled over and raised himself unsteadily onhands and knees. Amid a stream of blood and saliva, thetwo halves of a dental plate fell out of his mouth.The prisoners sat very still, their hands crossed on theirknees. The chinless man climbed back into his place. Downone side of his face the flesh was darkening. His mouth hadswollen into a shapeless cherry-coloured mass with a blackhole in the middle of it.From time to time a little blood dripped on to the breastof his overalls. His grey eyes still flitted from face to face,more guiltily than ever, as though he were trying to discoverhow much the others despised him for his humiliation.The door opened. With a small gesture the officer indicatedthe skull-faced man.‘Room 101,’ he said.There was a gasp and a flurry at Winston’s side. The manhad actually flung himself on his knees on the floor, withhis hand clasped together.‘Comrade! Officer!’ he cried. ‘You don’t have to take me tothat place! Haven’t I told you everything already? What elseis it you want to know? There’s nothing I wouldn’t confess,nothing! Just tell me what it is and I’ll confess straight off.Write it down and I’ll sign it—anything! Not room 101!’‘Room 101,’ said the officer.The man’s face, already very pale, turned a colour Winstonwould not have believed possible. It was definitely,unmistakably, a shade of green.‘Do anything to me!’ he yelled. ‘You’ve been starving me