BRAVADO

This story contains references to the episodes entitled A Visit To Hades, The Flaming Planet, and The Phantom Family.

            "You know, Will, I think I've finally figured out your father and the major." Smith lay on his side, stretched out comfortably in the afternoon sun, as Will sat cross-legged beside him.

            "What do you mean, figured them out?"

            "Simply that they've learned to threaten to hit me every time they want to get me to do something. It has become automatic and formulaic. For instance, when they wanted me to tell them everything about Morbus: the professor threatened to leave me alone with the major, who acted all too eager to beat me. Or on the Sobrams' planet, when each of them, separately, behaved threateningly to force me to enter that cave: the major threatened with words, and the professor threatened me with a look, but it amounted to the same. For the major, it's even become a knee-jerk reaction, such as when he threatened to hit me just because I panicked regarding Lemnoc's barrage; I hadn't really done anything wrong, after all."

            "So...what? You think they don't intend to ever go through with it??"

            "Well, what would you think? They never have gone through with it; they use threats to manipulate and maneuver me into obeying them: it's a convenient tactic that they use to control me."

            "You really think they're bluffing???"

            "I wouldn't be at all surprised. Think about it: they order you around because they know you'll obey; they make idle threats at me because they know it'll always work to use my own fear against me. They take advantage of our weaknesses."

            "I don't think you should say such...!" The boy glanced up just then, and the sight that he saw froze his blood. Robinson and West stood over them with graphic expressions that were an unearthly combination of anger and cold amusement. Will responded with a long, slow, dramatic gasp.

            "Dr. Smith, I really don't think you should've said those things!"

            Smith followed his gaze, and screamed his loudest, full-out scream. Then, he quickly rolled face-down in a useless attempt at self defense.

            "Will, take a walk," said Robinson sternly.

            "Don't leave me!! Save me!!!" Smith was hysterical with fright.

            The boy stared up at the two men looming above them. "Dr. Smith, I couldn't even stop one of 'em, let alone both!" His own voice was rocky, unsteady. Robinson and West gave him rueful, confirming looks.

            "Will!! Get help!!! Fetch your mother and sisters!"

            Flatly, West said, "Will. Leave. Don't fetch your mother and sisters."

            Smith's voice was shrill. "Will! I'm afraid of what'll happen to me!!"

            "Please. Don't kill him," the boy implored.

            "We have no intention of killing him," Robinson said firmly.

            "No, they'll just make me wish I were dead!!!" Smith moaned.

            The two men were amused, but not denying the older man's supposition.

            Will rose unsteadily, backed away from the men, turned, and quick-marched away, not toward the ship, but directly away from it.

            Smith begged, "No, please!!! I didn't mean any of it!! It was just a bit of bravado!"

            Robinson told him, "Well, we can understand that you'd need proof of our sincerity. You're right; we've been far too lenient with you. We can't leave you with the impression that we're just bluffing, just spouting empty words."

            "No! No!! I believe you! You needn't prove anything!!"

            West said, "We can't have you doubting us."

            Now Smith was sobbing. "It was just supposed to be a private conversation! You weren't supposed to hear us!"

            "I'm sure that's true," Robinson agreed equitably.

            "I'm absolutely convinced! I'm certain that you mean it!! You don't have anything more to prove!!!"

            "Oh, well let's just make sure. We don't mind providing you with proof. Let's just get you up on your feet," West said.

            Smith was crying heartbreakingly. "I beg you not to!!! I'm so afraid of how bad it'll hurt!!!" He wailed and moaned, "No!!!", managing to make that one syllable sound several syllables long.

            Through simple observation over a variety of circumstances, Smith had always been aware of their formidable strength, but he gained new, terrible awareness of it as two pairs of hands lifted him straight up from the ground, fast enough to render him momentarily dizzy. His disorientation was made worse as they spun him to face them. Like a vise, Robinson's hand clasped Smith's chin roughly, forcing his face up and vulnerable. His other hand made a fist. West's own fist joined the display. Smith cried out in terror.

            Then, he groaned tragically, "I didn't do anything wrong!! I said something incredibly stupid, but I didn't do anything this time!!! This shouldn't be the time that it really happens!!! Please!!!"

            Still holding him securely, Robinson said, "You see, you've put us in a tough spot. We can't let you go this time, or we'll confirm your suspicion that we're merely bluffing when we threaten you."

            "No!! No!!! I believe you!"

            "Or you could just be saying that," West told him in apparent concern for securing Smith's trust.

            "I do believe!! But even if I didn't, your threats will always still work!! I'm terrified of you two!! I'll always obey!!! Isn't that all that really matters???" He pried timidly at Robinson's hand. "That hurts! Please let go!!"

            West chuckled. "You think that hurts? You sure are fragile."

            With a voice like iron, Robinson ordered, "Stop that."

            Instantly intimidated by the harsh tone, Smith dropped his prying fingers. He implored, "Please stop! You're hurting me!!"

            West grinned humorlessly. "Not yet, we're not."

            Smith's tears ran down his face, wetting Robinson's hand. "Professor? You're already hurting me! It's enough! I swear I'm convinced!! Please let this be enough." His final sentence was barely above a whisper. He closed his eyes as a flood of tears soaked his tragically frightened face.

            Robinson squeezed just a bit harder, and Smith's panicky hands rose again to try to pry loose the harsh grip. Whereupon, West moved rapidly, directly behind Smith, and roughly dragged both feeble arms away and behind him.

            "Owww!!!" Smith cried. "Major! You're hurting me!!!"

            "Starting to." West tugged rather savagely on both arms.

            Smith shrieked.

            Robinson and West must have been eyeing each other over Smith's shoulder while he was wincing his eyes tightly shut in pain, because with perfect coordination, they released him simultaneously. As they both let go at once, he immediately collapsed to the ground in a heap. Smith lay sobbing, and his arms clearly couldn't decide whether to hug and rub each other, or to let his hands massage his jaw. Due to extreme fright, as well as to being tossed abruptly around like a ragdoll, Smith's disorientation made the world seem to spin crazily about him. He groaned loudly in misery.

            It was over an hour before Smith gingerly reentered the campsite. At the sight of the two men, Smith halted instantly and stood regarding them warily.

            "Are you all right?" Robinson asked evenly, as close to expressionless as possible. West stood grimly grinning.

            "I guess." Smith sounded out of breath, and kept his distance, still visibly intimidated. "You two are...diabolically inventive at finding devious means to be rough with me."

            "We were trying to punish you without actually hitting you. As you'd said, you hadn't done anything wrong. Even so, we had to teach you a lesson."

            Timidly, he went on, "I suspect that you two are capable of doing horrendous things to me that my sanity wouldn't survive, even if I physically did."

            "As sensitive as you are, I suspect that you're right," Robinson admitted flatly.

            "Don't torture me!" Smith cried in anguish.

            "Not our style," he replied.

            Smith nodded vaguely in semi-relief. "Why...did you leave me?"

            West shrugged carelessly. "We were finished."

            "But I was hurt, and frightened to be alone."

            Robinson supposed, "We thought you'd be glad we were gone."

            Smith said carefully, "I was glad that you stopped...hurting me. But I didn't want to be alone. What if I couldn't have gotten back safely?"

            "Are you kidding?" West demanded. "We hardly did anything to you!"

            Smith blinked at him. "I...see that our opinions differ. I was hurt, and dizzy from being thrown around like a ragdoll."

            Robinson told him, "We were as easy on you as we could be, while still making our point."

            "I suppose that I understand."

            Will arrived from behind him, startling him. "Are you all right?"

            Smith jumped. "Oh! William, it's you. Yes, I suppose. Though much the worse for wear." Eyeing the two men, he told the boy, "They were viciously rough with me. I'm hurt and bruised."

            "Oh, Smith, stop exaggerating," West told him. "Stop complaining, or we'll really give you something to complain about."

            His intimidation fully renewed, Smith said, "I surrender," and instantly went mum.

            Hours later, as Robinson and West sat in their chairs in the control room, Smith gingerly entered from below-decks. He halted fairly far from the two men, clearly unwilling to approach too closely. "Professor? Major?" he said meekly.

            "What is it, Smith?" Robinson asked neutrally.

            Smith stammered slightly, "Th...thank you for not hitting me."

            "You're welcome, Smith," Robinson responded evenly.

            "I was terrified."

            "We know that."

            "I still am."

            "We know that, too," West said mildly.

            The older man hesitated a moment, and then blurted, "Please don't ever really...!!"

            "Goodnight, Smith."

            "Goodnight, sirs," he whispered, chastened, and slunk away to return to his quarters below-decks.