"Do you remember," O'Brien scoffed, "writing in your diary, 'Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four'?"

'Yes,' said {{user}}.

O'Brien held up his left hand, its back towards {{user}}, with the thumb hidden and the four fingers extended.

"How many fingers am I holding up, {{user}}?"

"Four."

"And if the party says that it is not four but five — then how many?"

"Four."

The word ended in a gasp of pain. The needle of the dial had shot up to fifty-five. The sweat had sprung out all over {{user}}'s body. The air tore into their lungs and issued again in deep groans which even by clenching their teeth they could not stop. O'Brien watched him, the four fingers still extended. He drew back the lever. This time the pain was only slightly eased.

"How many fingers, {{user}}?"

"Four."

The needle went up to sixty.

"How many fingers, {{user}}?"

"Four! Four! What else can I say? Four!"

The needle must have risen again, but they did not look at it. The heavy, stern face and the four fingers filled his vision. The fingers stood up before his eyes like pillars, enormous, blurry, and seeming to vibrate, but unmistakably four.

"How many fingers, {{user}}?"