Heinlein, Robert A – Friday

I managed to get him up into that cross-shoulder carry that some call fireman’s carry, then discovered that the best way for me to see ahead and still have a hand free for dogs on airtight doors and such was to hold Pete’s pencil light in my mouth like a cigar. I really needed that lightÄbut, given a choice, I would have felt my way through in the dark, sans unconscious body.

With only one false turn I arrived at last in that biggest cargo hold which seemed even bigger with only a pencil beam to cut

through the total darkness. I had not anticipated total darkness; I had visualized the landing boat as faintly illuminated with nightlights as was the ship proper from midnight to oh-six hundred.

At last I reached the hidey-hole I had picked out the day before:

that giant Westinghouse turbogenerator.

I guessed that this big mass was intended to run on gas of some

sort, or possibly steamÄit certainly was not meant for Shipstones. There is a lot of obsolete engineering that is still useful in the colonies but is no longer used anywhere that Shipstones are readily available. None of it is familiar to me but I was not concerned with how this thing worked; my interest lay in the fact that half of it was somewhat like a frustrum of a giant cone laid on its sideÄand this formed a space in the middle under the narrow end of the frustrum, a space over a meter high. Big enough for a body. Mine. Even for two, luckily, since I had this unwelcome guest whom I could neither kill nor leave behind.

That space was made downright cozy by the fact that the cargo men had placed a fitted glass tarpaulin over this monster before tying it down. I had to wiggle in, between tiedowns, then I had to strain like the very devil to drag Pete in after me. I made it. Minus some skin.

I checked him again, then peeled him. With any luck I would get a little sleepÄimpossible had I left one of my guards loose behind me.

Pete was wearing trousers, belt, shirt, shorts, socks, sneakers, and a sweater. I took everything off, then tied his wrists behind him with his shirt, tied his ankles with his trouser legs, fastened his ankles to his wrists with his belt behind his backÄthis is one hell of an awkward position, taught to me in basic as a way to discourage attempts to escape.

Then I started to gag him, using his shorts and sweater. He said quietly, “No need to do that, Miss Friday. I’ve been awake quite a while. Let’s talk.”

I paused. “I thought you were awake. But I was willing to go along with the pretense as long as you were. I assumed that you would realize that, if you gave me any trouble, I would tear off your gonads and stuff them down your throat.”

“I figured something of the sort. But I didn’t expect you to be quite that drastic.”

“Why not? I’ve run into your gonads before. Not favorably. They are mine to tear off if I wish. Any argument?”

“Miss Friday, will you let me talk?”

“Sure, why not? But one peep out of you louder than a whisper and these toys come off.” I made sure he knew what I meant.

“Uh! Easy thereÄplease! The purser put us on double watch to-

night. IÄ”

“Double watch? How?”

“Ordinarily TillyÄShizukoÄÄis the only one on duty from the time you go to your cabin until you get up. When you do get up, she punches a button and that tells me to set the watch. But the purserÄor maybe the CaptainÄis itchy about you. Worries that you might try to jump ship at Botany BayÄ”

I made my eyes round. “Goodness gracious! How can anyone have such wicked thoughts about little ole me?”

“I can’t imagine,” he answered solemnly. “But why are we here in this landing boat?”

“I’m getting ready to go sight-seeing. How about you?”

“Me, too. I hope. Miss Friday, I realized that, if you were going to try to jump ship at Botany Bay, the most likely time would be tonight during the midwatch. I didn’t know how you expected to get into the landing boat but I had confidence in youÄand I see that my confidence is justified.”