Read Online The Launching of Roger Brook by Dennis Wheatley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dennis Wheatley
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His alcohol-laden brain refused to work although it was seething with revolt. At length they reached the conservatory on the west side of the house. A dim light filtering through from the hall was enough to show the glass double-doors leading out to the orchard, but it was now pitch dark outside. Admiral Brook had walked forward to lock the door, when Roger suddenly exclaimed in a choking voice:
‘Sir, may I speak with you for a moment?’
‘Yes. What is it, Roger?’ the Admiral flung cheerfully over his shoulder.
‘This Commission, Sir, I’ve no wish for it.’
‘What’s that!’ The Admiral swung round and peered at him in the uncertain light. ‘What didst thou say? Surely I can’t have heard aright?’
Only his half-drunken state had given Roger the courage to take the plunge but, having taken it, he hurried on. ‘I’m sorry to disappoint you, Sir, seeing you’re so set on it, but I don’t want to take up this Commission.’
‘In God’s name, why?’ gasped the Admiral in blank astonishment.
‘I—I’ve a dozen reasons, Sir,’ Roger stammered now. ‘I don’t want to go to sea. I—I…’
‘You’re drunk, boy,’ exclaimed his father, sharply. ‘You don’t know what you’re saying. Get to bed this minute.’
‘I’m not drunk, Sir,’ Roger protested. ‘At least, not so drunk as all that. I made up my mind years ago. I’d hate the life, I swear I would. I pray you don’t force me to it.’
‘So this is what an expensive schooling has done for you!’ His father was angry now. ‘Or is it lack of discipline because I’ve been so long from home? How dare you question my decisions. I know what’s best for you. Get to bed now and let’s hear no more of this.’
‘Please!’ Roger begged. ‘Please! You must remember your own days as a midshipman. You’ve often told me how they worked you until you were often almost asleep on your feet. And of the cold and the storms and the bullying.’
‘Bah! That’s nothing. You’ll soon get used to it and come to love it.’
‘I shan’t, Sir. I’ve dreaded this for years and I’ll loathe every moment of it.’
‘Hell’s bells, what schoolgirl vapourings!’ the Admiral cried in a fury. ‘Am I but come home to find that I have a coward for a son?’
‘I’m not a coward, Sir. I’ll take on any fellow of my own weight, but I don’t want to go to sea.’
‘D’you dare to stand there and defy me?’
Roger was white to the gills and feeling desperately sick again, but the gross injustice of disposing of him against his will had driven him, too, into a fury.
‘Yes, since I must,’ he cried. ‘It’s my life and I’ll not be condemned to a slavery worse than the plantations. I won’t go to sea, and you shan’t make me.’
‘God!’ roared the Admiral. ‘Such insolence as this is something I never dreamed to meet, and for it I’ll leather the hide off you.’ Suiting the action to the word he snatched up a cane from a potted plant and thrust out a hand to grab Roger by the collar.
Roger dodged the blow by stepping sideways and, in the semi-darkness, the Admiral tripped over some large flowerpots that were standing on the tiled floor. He fell among them with a clatter but was up again in a moment and made another grab at Roger with a hearty curse.
‘’Tis discipline you need, you presumptuous young fool and I’m the man to give it to you. I’ll soon show you who is master in this ship.’
Next moment he had Roger by the scruff of the neck and forcing him over brought the cane down with a resounding wallop on his buttocks.
Roger let out a yell and tensed himself for another blow, but it did not come. While the stick was still raised in midair,the Admiral’s action was arrested by three sharp, clear knocks that came out of the night on one of the panes of the conservatory door.
4
The Making of a Man
For a moment they remained as inanimate as though posed in
tableau vivant
, then with a muttered curse the Admiral
‘Sir, may I speak with you for a moment?’
‘Yes. What is it, Roger?’ the Admiral flung cheerfully over his shoulder.
‘This Commission, Sir, I’ve no wish for it.’
‘What’s that!’ The Admiral swung round and peered at him in the uncertain light. ‘What didst thou say? Surely I can’t have heard aright?’
Only his half-drunken state had given Roger the courage to take the plunge but, having taken it, he hurried on. ‘I’m sorry to disappoint you, Sir, seeing you’re so set on it, but I don’t want to take up this Commission.’
‘In God’s name, why?’ gasped the Admiral in blank astonishment.
‘I—I’ve a dozen reasons, Sir,’ Roger stammered now. ‘I don’t want to go to sea. I—I…’
‘You’re drunk, boy,’ exclaimed his father, sharply. ‘You don’t know what you’re saying. Get to bed this minute.’
‘I’m not drunk, Sir,’ Roger protested. ‘At least, not so drunk as all that. I made up my mind years ago. I’d hate the life, I swear I would. I pray you don’t force me to it.’
‘So this is what an expensive schooling has done for you!’ His father was angry now. ‘Or is it lack of discipline because I’ve been so long from home? How dare you question my decisions. I know what’s best for you. Get to bed now and let’s hear no more of this.’
‘Please!’ Roger begged. ‘Please! You must remember your own days as a midshipman. You’ve often told me how they worked you until you were often almost asleep on your feet. And of the cold and the storms and the bullying.’
‘Bah! That’s nothing. You’ll soon get used to it and come to love it.’
‘I shan’t, Sir. I’ve dreaded this for years and I’ll loathe every moment of it.’
‘Hell’s bells, what schoolgirl vapourings!’ the Admiral cried in a fury. ‘Am I but come home to find that I have a coward for a son?’
‘I’m not a coward, Sir. I’ll take on any fellow of my own weight, but I don’t want to go to sea.’
‘D’you dare to stand there and defy me?’
Roger was white to the gills and feeling desperately sick again, but the gross injustice of disposing of him against his will had driven him, too, into a fury.
‘Yes, since I must,’ he cried. ‘It’s my life and I’ll not be condemned to a slavery worse than the plantations. I won’t go to sea, and you shan’t make me.’
‘God!’ roared the Admiral. ‘Such insolence as this is something I never dreamed to meet, and for it I’ll leather the hide off you.’ Suiting the action to the word he snatched up a cane from a potted plant and thrust out a hand to grab Roger by the collar.
Roger dodged the blow by stepping sideways and, in the semi-darkness, the Admiral tripped over some large flowerpots that were standing on the tiled floor. He fell among them with a clatter but was up again in a moment and made another grab at Roger with a hearty curse.
‘’Tis discipline you need, you presumptuous young fool and I’m the man to give it to you. I’ll soon show you who is master in this ship.’
Next moment he had Roger by the scruff of the neck and forcing him over brought the cane down with a resounding wallop on his buttocks.
Roger let out a yell and tensed himself for another blow, but it did not come. While the stick was still raised in midair,the Admiral’s action was arrested by three sharp, clear knocks that came out of the night on one of the panes of the conservatory door.
4
The Making of a Man
For a moment they remained as inanimate as though posed in
tableau vivant
, then with a muttered curse the Admiral