Flight

full he had it to himself, since nobody cared to be seen sitting too
close to him. He never even bothered to count his drinks. At irregular
intervals they presented him with a dirty slip of paper which they said was
the bill, but he had the impression that they always undercharged him. It
would have made no difference if it had been the other way about. He had
always plenty of money nowadays. He even had a job, a sinecure, more
highly-paid than his old job had been.
The music from the telescreen stopped and a voice took over. Winston
raised his head to listen. No bulletins from the front, however. It was
merely a brief announcement from the Ministry of Plenty. In the preceding
quarter, it appeared, the Tenth Three-Year Plan's quota for bootlaces had
been overfulfilled by 98 per cent.
He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky
ending, involving a couple of knights. 'White to play and mate in two
moves.' Winston looked up at the portrait of Big Brother. White always
mates, he thought with a sort of cloudy mysticism. Always, without
exception, it is so arranged. In no chess problem since the beginning of
the world has black ever won. Did it not symbolize the eternal, unvarying
triumph of Good over Evil? The huge face gazed back at him, full of calm
power. White always mates.
The voice from the telescreen paused and added in a different and much
graver tone: 'You are warned to stand by for an important announcement at
fifteen-thirty. Fifteen-thirty! This is news of the highest importance.
Take care not to miss it. Fifteen-thirty!' The tinking music struck up
again.
Winston's heart stirred. That was the bulletin from the front;
instinct told him that it was bad news that was coming. All day, with
little spurts of excitement, the thought of a smashing defeat in Africa had
been in and out of his mind