"What have you done!" Julia screamed, her hands twittering birds, flapping
toward her face.
"Why would you care?" O'brien spat. Before she knew what had hit her, Julia felt his hand creep around her waist- she was captive in his strong, bear- like arms. "You've worked for me- you've always worked for me, you bloody little whore."
"No, not like that! Don't you ever call me that," she protested, squirming out of his grasp. Twitching, eyes still darting to Winston's immobile form on the ground, she searched her pockets for a cigarette. O'brien lit it for her, and touched the corners of her mouth.
"Oh, you think you've got class, do you?" she asked sarcastically, backing away from him.
"I know you Julia. You really do love him?" His eyes narrowed, passing right over her question.
Julia's eyes were flaming with utter hatred. She promptly turned away from him, withdrawing the cigarette and said tremulously, "That's past tense, dearie. Did love!" He heard her sniffling. His lips curled into an ugly grin.
"No, no. I'm right. He's not dead."
Julia's eyes looked like two glossy crystal balls. She hit him on the shoulder with her palm, shaking harder than ever. "Don't play games with me!"
"I'm not. I wouldn't let him die, Julia. Not while he hates us. He's tough, despite his blubbery layer of skin. He needs a bit more pain in the Ministry of Love."
"But that bullet---?" she faltered. "It went through his neck... how?"
"You only THOUGHT you saw a bullet devastate his brain. It was a simple tranquilizer, and he'll be up in a few hours. Take my word for it; the whole of Oceania does." His teeth were yellow. "And, if you're not careful, my dear Julia, you might need some cleansing too—"
"I'm perfectly fine, thank you."
"Good..." O'brien pulled a compact telescreen from his pocket, pressed a button, and said in a low rumble, "Police, we need..."
But Julia couldn't listen to the babble. "Winston," she thought.
O'brien finished his order. "And remember, Julia... you must always love Big Brother. He is always watching you, and if you don't love him, he will gently remind you of why you should love him..." She thought of Room 101 and the fear thrust upon her...
She bit her lip. "I will always love Big Brother," she said listlessly, and O'brien smiled, but it was rugged, and there was a secret behind it.
"Doublethink..." he thought musingly. "Yes, yes..."
"Why would you care?" O'brien spat. Before she knew what had hit her, Julia felt his hand creep around her waist- she was captive in his strong, bear- like arms. "You've worked for me- you've always worked for me, you bloody little whore."
"No, not like that! Don't you ever call me that," she protested, squirming out of his grasp. Twitching, eyes still darting to Winston's immobile form on the ground, she searched her pockets for a cigarette. O'brien lit it for her, and touched the corners of her mouth.
"Oh, you think you've got class, do you?" she asked sarcastically, backing away from him.
"I know you Julia. You really do love him?" His eyes narrowed, passing right over her question.
Julia's eyes were flaming with utter hatred. She promptly turned away from him, withdrawing the cigarette and said tremulously, "That's past tense, dearie. Did love!" He heard her sniffling. His lips curled into an ugly grin.
"No, no. I'm right. He's not dead."
Julia's eyes looked like two glossy crystal balls. She hit him on the shoulder with her palm, shaking harder than ever. "Don't play games with me!"
"I'm not. I wouldn't let him die, Julia. Not while he hates us. He's tough, despite his blubbery layer of skin. He needs a bit more pain in the Ministry of Love."
"But that bullet---?" she faltered. "It went through his neck... how?"
"You only THOUGHT you saw a bullet devastate his brain. It was a simple tranquilizer, and he'll be up in a few hours. Take my word for it; the whole of Oceania does." His teeth were yellow. "And, if you're not careful, my dear Julia, you might need some cleansing too—"
"I'm perfectly fine, thank you."
"Good..." O'brien pulled a compact telescreen from his pocket, pressed a button, and said in a low rumble, "Police, we need..."
But Julia couldn't listen to the babble. "Winston," she thought.
O'brien finished his order. "And remember, Julia... you must always love Big Brother. He is always watching you, and if you don't love him, he will gently remind you of why you should love him..." She thought of Room 101 and the fear thrust upon her...
She bit her lip. "I will always love Big Brother," she said listlessly, and O'brien smiled, but it was rugged, and there was a secret behind it.
"Doublethink..." he thought musingly. "Yes, yes..."