Farnham’s Freehold By Robert A. Heinlein

“Cripes! I told you I would cooperate.”

“But you haven’t been doing so. You’ve been making silly remarks, getting in my way, giving me lip, wasting my time when I have urgent things to do. Duke, I don’t want your cooperation, on your terms, according to your judgment. While we are in this shelter I want your absolute obedience.”

Duke shook his head. “Get it through your head that I’m no longer a child, Dad. My cooperation, yes. But I won’t promise the other.”

Mr. Farnham shook his head sorrowfully. “Maybe it would be better if you took charge and I obeyed you. But I’ve given these circumstances thought and you haven’t. Son, I anticipated that your mother might be hysterical; I had everything ready to handle it. Don’t you think I anticipated this situation?”

“How so? It’s pure chance that I’m here at all.”

“’This situation’ I said. It could be anybody. Duke, if we had been entertaining friends tonight – or if strangers had popped up, say that old fellow who rang the doorbell-I would have taken them in; I planned on extras. Don’t you think, with all the planning I have done, that I would realize that somebody might get out of hand? And plan how to force them into line?”

“How?”

“In a lifeboat, how do you tell the boat officer?”

“Is that a riddle?”

“No. The boat officer is the one with the gun.”

“Oh. I suppose you do have guns down here. But you don’t have one now, and”- Duke grinned -”Dad, I can’t see you shooting me. Can you?”

His father stared, then dropped his eyes. “No. A stranger, maybe. But you’re my son.” He sighed. “Well, I hope you cooperate.”

“I will. I promise you that much.”

“Thank you. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” Mr. Farnham turned away. “Joseph!”

“Yes, sir?”

“It’s condition seven.”

“Condition seven, sir?”

“Yes, and getting worse. Be careful with the instruments and don’t waste time.”

“Right away, sir!”

“Thank you.” He turned to his son. “Duke, if you really want to cooperate, you could pick up the pieces of this radio. It’s the same model as the one in reserve. There may be pieces we can use to repair the other one if it becomes necessary. Will you do that?”

“Sure, sure. I told you I would cooperate.” Duke got on his knees, started to complete the task he had interrupted.

“Thank you.” His father turned away, moved toward the junction of the bays.

“Mr. Duke! Get your hands up!”

Duke looked over his shoulder, saw Joseph by the card table, aiming a Thompson submachine gun at him. He jumped to his feet. “What the hell!”

“Stay there!” Joseph said. “I’ll shoot.”

“Yes,” agreed Duke’s father, “he doesn’t have the compunctions you thought I had. Joseph, if he moves, shoot him.”

“Daddy! What’s going on?”

Mr. Farnham turned to face his daughter. “Get back!”

“But, Daddy-”

“Shut up. Both of you get into that lower bunk. Karen on the inside. Move!”

Karen moved. Barbara looked wide-eyed at the automatic her host now held in his hand and got quickly into the lower bunk of the other bay. “Arms around each other,” he said briskly. “Don’t either of you let the other one move.” He went back to the first bay.

“Duke.”

“Yes?”

“Lower your hands slowly and unfasten your trousers. Let them fall but don’t step out of them. Then turn slowly and face the door. Unfasten the bolts.”

“Dad-”

“Shut up. Joseph, if he does anything but exactly what I told him to, shoot. Try for his legs, but hit him.”

Face white, expression dazed, Duke did as he was told: let his trousers fall until he was hobbled, turned and started unbolting the door. His father let him continue until half the bolts were drawn. “Duke. Stop. The next few seconds determine whether you go-or stay. You know the terms.”

Duke barely hesitated. “I accept.”

“I must elaborate. You will not only obey me, you will obey Joseph.”

“Joseph?”

“My second-in-command. I have to have one, Duke; I can’t stay awake all the time. I would gladly have had you as deputy-but you would have nothing to do with it. So I trained Joseph. He knows where everything is, how it works, how to repair it. So he’s my deputy. Well? Will you obey him just as cheerfully? No back talk?”