“The worst of all was to be faced with the interrogation technique of Thirty Seconds. The interrogator would say something and you had to respond quickly, without once repeating yourself or using the personal pronoun. Very few dissidents could last the full thirty seconds, and a refusal to comply was taken as equal proof of dissidence.”
“I? This is the very root of all evil, Potter,” the Special Investigator shuddered, reaching for her spray, as if to rid herself of some malodorous aftertaste. “How we detest that vile word. It makes us feel quite nauseous.”
“There was a great joke that was forever doing the rounds in the jail and it was probably funny not because it had a humorous punchline but because it was so very true at a deep psychological level. Put anyone in that jail and soon enough they'd actually become a cruel, twisted, sadistic and heartless thug. And some of the prisoners were just as bad.”
“All you had to do was crack up and beg to see the Governor; grovel at his feet and admit to being a dissident; heartily repent your sins, and volunteer for elective brain surgery.”
“Their methods were especially crude and most of these former friends were now born again model citizens; lobotomized; or burnt out shells.”
“Is that a banana in your lunch box, or are you just pleased to see me?”
“This was a seminal moment for Rowan in a sacred initiation or rite of passage, and if he was to penetrate the dissident movement, it was vital that he should not falter or turn back at this point.”
If these quotes have whetted your appetite, you may enjoy H.M. Forester's book, The Dissidents: A Novella.
• By Etienne de L'Amour ~ Google+