[v_dragon]

as they had done at the front door, the little man's dark eyes
flickered over their faces. There was not a trace of friendliness in his
manner. He was memorizing their appearance, but he felt no interest in
them, or appeared to feel none. It occurred to Winston that a synthetic
face was perhaps incapable of changing its expression. Without speaking or
giving any kind of salutation, Martin went out, closing the door silently
behind him. O'Brien was strolling up and down, one hand in the pocket of
his black overalls, the other holding his cigarette.
'You understand,' he said, 'that you will be fighting in the dark. You
will always be in the dark. You will receive orders and you will obey them,
without knowing why. Later I shall send you a book from which you will
learn the true nature of the society we live in, and the strategy by which
we shall destroy it. When you have read the book, you will be full members
of the Brotherhood. But between the general aims that we are fighting for
and the immedi ate tasks of the moment, you will never know anything. I
tell you that the Brotherhood exists, but I cannot tell you whether it
numbers a hundred members, or ten million. From your personal knowledge you
will never be able to say that it numbers even as many as a dozen. You will
have three or four contacts, who will be renewed from time to time as they
disappear. As this was your first contact, it will be preserved. When you
receive orders, they will come from me. If we find it necessary to
communicate with you, it will be through Martin. When you are