Clitheroe's eyes narrowed, and I saw Bailey, who was behind him, sit up suddenly.
"Are you saying," says Clitheroe, "that Spring was objecting to this shackling?"
"I can't say, sir." God, I was treading warily. "What was the cause of their altercation, I do not know." I took a deep breath. "But I do know that Mr Sullivan had served aboard slave ships in the past — and I don't believe he was quite right in the head, sir."
Clitheroe was staring at me in frank disbelief. "But this is totally out of accord with your earlier statement, sir. What? —" he scrabbled over a page "— here we have you referring to Spring as 'an unhuman beast', a 'callous murderer', a —"
"This is infamous!" roars Anderson. "I have protested already — sir!" He swung on Clitheroe. "Is that statement, that rubbish you hold in your hand, and read out to vilify my client — is it signed, sir!"
"It is not signed, sir, but —"
"Then take it away, sir! Remove it! It is a scandal, a disgrace! I appeal to the adjudicator!"
"We will hear the witness," says the adjudicator. "Not what you say he once said, Mr Clitheroe. You must not lead the witness, sir — as you should know." Someone had greased his palm, right enough.
Clitheroe was in a quandary; Bailey, I could tell from his face, was in a fury. Clitheroe turned back to me, and his face was ugly.
"Very well," says he. "I now put the matter to you in different terms. Can you say, from your own knowledge, that there were slaves being carried on board the Balliol College in contravention of American law — that is to say, non-American slaves, and that an attempt was made to dispose of them by casting them overside — whoever gave the order."
I was ready enough for that. "Two hours ago, sir, I would have been able positively to answer your question as to the slaves. However, you must see, in the light of what we have heard from the last two witnesses, that I cannot in conscience answer positively now. The distinction about American-born slaves is new to me, sir; I cannot say whether the others were also American or not."
He gave a snort of impatience. "Was there not, on the Balliol College, an African woman — brought from Africa, sir, and carried to Baltimore with the others by Captain Fairbrother. A woman named —" he looked at his paper "— Lady Caroline Lamb, who spoke no English, and had been carried from Dahomey as a slave? Who could not possibly have been American, whatever the others were."
"I remember the woman perfectly," says I. "As to her status, I confess I am reluctant — now — to be too definite, since she was certainly not among those shackled by Mr Sullivan." (That was true, too; how had he overlooked her? She must have been in my cabin. Ah well, it's an ill wind.)
"Reluctant?" Clitheroe threw down his papers in disgust. Behind him I could see Bailey muttering with rage. "Reluctant? On my word, Mr Comber — I find this most extraordinary. Are you here, sir, to testify against that man —" and he flung out a hand at Spring "— or are you not? Damme, sir — I beg the adjudicator's pardon — what does this mean? Your whole tone, your attitude, the burden of your evidence, is so far from what you led us to believe it would be, that I could almost wonder —" His glance flickered to Anderson, but he thought better of it. Before he could go on, I plucked up my courage and got in first.
"I have answered your questions to the best of my ability, sir," says I. "If I am scrupulous, I must say I find it hard that I should be blamed for that."
He looked as though he would burst. "Scrupulous, by all that's holy! I don't ask you to be scrupulous — I ask for the truth! What did you sail aboard this damned slaver for, if not to bring him to justice, eh? Answer me that, sir?"
When in difficulty, bluster; it was the only weapon I had left, and I seized it, now that his loss of composure had given me the chance.
"I sailed in the performance of my duty to my chiefs, sir, as you well know. That duty I have done — or will do, as soon as I am permitted. If you look in my statement, sir, you will see that I was reluctant from the first to appear in this case, and that I appeared only because your Navy Department assured me it was necessary. I had assumed, wrongly, I fear —" and I took my whole courage in my hands, and tried to sound furious "— that such a simple case would be easily concluded without my intervention being called for."
He went white, and then red, and his breath came out in a great shudder. He looked at me with pure hate, and when he spoke, it was with great care.
"Indeed, sir? Very high-minded, and high-handed, are we not? Very well, Mr Comber, let us examine this, if you please. Your duty, sir, you have told us, is to your chiefs — you are an agent against the slave trade-although one would hardly suspect it from your conduct today. As such, I understand you obtained possession, during this voyage, of papers belonging to the master of the Balliol College —" out of the tail of my eye I saw Spring stiffen in his seat. "Will you tell us, sir, whether or not there was evidence in those papers — as to the ownership of the vessel, for example-to prove that she was engaged illegally in the slave trade, in contravention of American law? You are on oath, sir — remember that!"
My heart lurched, because I had seen the way out. I held my breath a moment, to make my face red, and let it out slowly. I drew myself up, and glared at him with all the venom I could muster.
"This, sir," says I, "is intolerable. It is precisely why I did not wish to appear. You are well aware, sir, that there are facts which I am in duty bound not to disclose-facts of the highest import — it is all explained in that statement, sir — which I cannot in honour convey to anyone except to my chiefs at home. I was promised immunity from this —" brazening it for all I was worth, I rounded on Bailey. "Captain Bailey, I appeal to you. This is entirely unworthy — I am badgered, sir, on the very grounds which it was promised to me would be inviolate. I will not endure it, sir! The counsel's questions must lead inevitably to the point which I was assured would not be touched. I … I …" There's nothing like a good stammer for conviction. "I was a fool to be coerced into this! I should have known … incompetence! … harm done!"
There was tumult in the court; even Bailey was looking bewildered now; the adjudicator was at a loss. Anderson, clever man, had the good sense to look amazed; Spring was looking worried. Clitheroe, stuck between rage and astonishment, looked to Bailey, and then to me.
"On my word!" This was the adjudicator, darting his nose at me. "What is this, sir? This outburst is quite-"
"Sir," says I, "I most humbly beg your pardon. I intended no disrepect to you, or to this august court." I hesitated. "I found myself placed in an intolerable position, sir — if an explanation is necessary, I beg that you will ask counsel for the plaintiff."
There was a moment's silence, in which the adjudicator looked at Clitheroe, and Clitheroe stood with his face white and his mouth set. Then he shook his head.
"I see no advantage to the court in … examining this witness further," says he, and he sat down.
Anderson jumped up, and began to address the adjudicator, but I was too bemused by my own eloquence to listen. The next thing I knew there was an adjournment, and I was hustled off to Bailey's office, with Clitheroe and Dunne, and the first two rounded on me like bears. But I snatched the ball from their hands, and laced into them for all I was worth — it was my only chance, I knew, to play the mystery as I had done in the Washington Navy Department, and play it as furiously as I could.