Benjamin wiped his brow. It was so cold he could actually see the sweat steaming off his forearms. He jabbed the shovel into the ground that would soon be hard from frost. Why should he care if Eve left? What did it matter to him? He had already evicted her from his heart. He should be glad at least now he didn’t need to live with the walking, breathing witness to his shame and guilt.
When it came right down to it, the Party was to blame. His superiors were the first ones to introduce Benjamin to voyeuristic pleasures, back when he was young enough he should have stayed ignorant. They liked taunting the boys they trained. “This is how you’ll be rewarded once you’ve risen through the ranks.” And Benjamin had worked harder than any of his peers.
He cursed the Party. He cursed the day the h
