Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 19deprived of the power of speech. His tongue worked sound-
lessly, forming the opening syllables first of one word, then
of the other, over and over again. Until he had said it, he
did not know which word he was going to say. ‘No,’ he said
finally.
‘You did well to tell me,’ said O’Brien. ‘It is necessary for
us to know everything.’
He turned himself toward Julia and added in a voice
with somewhat more expression in it:
‘Do you understand that even if he survives, it may be
as a different person? We may be obliged to give him a new
identity. His face, his movements, the shape of his hands,
the colour of his hair—even his voice would be different.
And you yourself might have become a different person.
Our surgeons can alter people beyond recognition. Some-
times it is necessary. Sometimes we even amputate a limb.’
Winston could not help snatching another sidelong
glance at Martin’s Mongolian face. There were no scars
that he could see. Julia had turned a shade paler, so that
her freckles were showing, but she faced O’Brien boldly. She
murmured something that seemed to be assent.
‘Good. Then that is settled.’
There was a silver box of cigarettes on the table. With a
rather absent-minded air O’Brien pushed them towards the
others, took one himself, then stood up and began to pace
slowly to and fro, as though he could think better standing.
They were very good cigarettes, very thick and well-packed,
with an unfamiliar silkiness in the paper. O’Brien looked at
his wrist-watch again.