Brave New World - Aldous Huxley [71]
Bernard had entered the room and was advancing between the rows of fertilizers towards them. A veneer of jaunty self-confidence thinly concealed his nervousness. The voice in which he said, 'Good-morning, Director,' was absurdly too loud; that in which, correcting his mistake, he said, 'You asked me to come and speak to you here,' ridiculously soft, a squeak.
'Yes, Mr Marx,' said the Director portentously. 'I did ask you to come to me here. You returned from your holiday last night, I understand.'
'Yes,' Bernard answered.
'Yes-s,' repeated the Director, lingering, a serpent, on the 's'. Then, suddenly raising his voice, 'Ladies and gentlemen,' he trumpeted, 'ladies and gentlemen.'
The singing of the girls over their test-tubes, the preoccupied whistling of the Miscroscopists, suddenly ceased. There was a profound silence; everyone looked round.
'Ladies and gentlemen,' the Director repeated once more, 'excuse me for thus interrupting your labours. A painful duty constrains me. The security and stability of Society are in danger. Yes, in danger, ladies and gentlemen. This man,' he pointed accusingly at Bernard, 'this man who stands before you here, this Alpha-Plus to whom so much has been given, and from whom, in consequence, so much must be expected, this colleague of yours – or should I anticipate and say this ex-colleague? – has grossly betrayed the trust imposed in him. By his heretical views on sport and soma, by the scandalous unorthodoxy of his sex-life, by his refusal to obey the teachings of Our Ford and behave out of office hours "like a babe in a bottle'" (here the Director made the sign of the T), 'he has proved himself an enemy of Society, a subverter, ladies and gentlemen, of all Order and Stability, a conspirator against Civilization itself. For this reason I propose to dismiss him, to dismiss him with ignominy from the post he has held in this Centre; I propose forthwith to apply for his trans-ference to a Sub-Centre of the lowest order and, that his punishment may serve the best interest of Society, as far as possible removed from any important Centre of population. In Iceland he will have small opportunity to lead others astray by his unfordly example.' The Director paused; then, folding his arms, he turned impressively to Bernard. 'Marx,' he said, 'can you show any reason why I should not now execute the judgement passed upon you?'
'Yes, I can,' Bernard answered in a very loud voice.
Somewhat taken aback, but still majestically, 'Then show it,' said the Director.
'Certainly. But it's in the passage. One moment.' Bernard hurried to the door and threw it open. 'Come in,' he commanded, and the reason came in and showed itself.
There was a gasp, a murmur of astonishment and horror; a young girl screamed; standing on a chair to get a better view of someone upset two test-tubes full of spermatozoa. Bloated, sagging, and among those firm youthful bodies, those un-distorted faces, a strange and terrifying monster of middle-agedness, Linda advanced into the room, coquettishly smiling her broken and discoloured smile, and rolling as she walked, with what was meant to be a voluptuous undulation, her enormous haunches. Bernard walked beside her.
'There he is,' he said, pointing at the Director.
'Did you think I didn't recognize him?' Linda asked indignantly; then, turning to the Director, 'Of course I knew you; Tomakin, I should have known you anywhere, among a