had to happen. Even now I am not
sure that you fully understand the situation. You may still be inclined
to resist. You are not in the habit of submitting to force, reason or
justice. I am only asking you, however, to recognize the last of these.
You will be happier in the end. I don't give a hang how much you hate
me, nor how far you may go to depose me. I don't want your friendship
any more than I want your enmity. I can get along very nicely without
either. But that isn't the point. At present I am in charge of a gang of
workmen. Every man on this ship belongs to that gang, you with the rest.
I ask you to look at the matter fairly, honestly, open-mindedly. You
accuse me of being high-handed. I return the charge. It's you who are
high-handed. You set yourself above your fellow-unfortunates. You refuse
to abide by the will of the majority. I represent the majority. I am
not acting for myself, but for them. God knows, I am not looking for
trouble. This job isn't one that I would have chosen voluntarily. But
now that it has been thrust upon me, I have no other alternative than to
see it through. You ought to be man enough, you ought to be fair enough
to see it in that light. If conditions were reversed, Mr. Landover, and
you were in my place, I would be the last to oppose you, because I
have learned in a very tough school that it pays to live up to the
regulations. Everywhere else in the world it is a question of capital
and labour. Here it is a question of labour alone. There is no such
thing as capital. Socialism is forced upon us, the purest kind of
socialism, for even the socialist can't get rich at the expense of his
neighbour. But I'm beginning to lecture again. Let's get down to cases.
Are you prepared to go out peaceably,--I'll not say willingly,--and do
your share on the job as long as you are physically able?"

"I submit to brute force. There is no other course left open to me,"
said Landover hoarsely.

"Very well, then. Come along,--we're wasting valuable time here."

"I will follow you in a few minutes."

"You will come now," said Percival levelly. "You and I, Mr. Landover,
are jointly concerned in the establishment of a very definite order of
discipline. We represent the two extremes." He stood aside. "Precede me,
if you please."

After a moment's hesitation, the other lifted his chin and walked past
the young man. The corridors were clear. Percival followed close behind.
He kept up a glib, one-sided co