1984 - Planet eBook

save Julia by doubling my own pain, would I do it? Yes, Iwould.’ But that was merely an intellectual decision, takenbecause he knew that he ought to take it. He did not feel it.In this place you could not feel anything, except pain andforeknowledge of pain. Besides, was it possible, when youwere actually suffering it, to wish for any reason that yourown pain should increase? But that question was not answerableyet.The boots were approaching again. The door opened.O’Brien came in.Winston started to his feet. The shock of the sight haddriven all caution out of him. For the first time in manyyears he forgot the presence of the telescreen.‘They’ve got you too!’ he cried.‘They got me a long time ago,’ said O’Brien with a mild,almost regretful irony. He stepped aside. From behind himthere emerged a broad-chested guard with a long blacktruncheon in his hand.‘You know this, Winston,’ said O’Brien. ‘Don’t deceiveyourself. You did know it—you have always known it.’Yes, he saw now, he had always known it. But there was notime to think of that. All he had eyes for was the truncheonin the guard’s hand. It might fall anywhere; on the crown,on the tip of the ear, on the upper arm, on the elbow——The elbow! He had slumped to his knees, almost paralysed,clasping the stricken elbow with his other hand.Everything had exploded into yellow light. Inconceivable,inconceivable that one blow could cause such pain! Thelight cleared and he could see the other two looking down