Ramage

Pisano paused for a moment. 'I hoped.'

 'How far away were the French cavalry?' asked Croucher, trying to change Ferris's line of questioning.

'Oh—' Pisano was clearly unsure what answer to make. 'It was very difficult to tell.'

'When did you first decide that Lieutenant Ramage's behaviour gave you cause for alarm?'

 'Oh - before I met him. His plan was madness. I told everyone so. And I was correct: look what happened: Count Pitti and the Marchesa wounded...'

 'When,' continued Croucher, 'did you make your complaint?'

'As soon as I met a responsible British officer.'

 'I do not think the court has any further questions,' Croucher said in a voice which defied Ferris to say anything. 'The prisoner may cross-examine the witness.'

 Pisano stood up at the same moment as Ramage, who said politely to Captain Croucher, 'The witness must still be feeling the effects of the blow on his head. Could he be permitted to be seated again?'

'Oh yes, of course,' agreed Croucher. 'Do please ...'

Pisano sat down, not realizing for a moment or two that Ramage now had the advantage of looking down at him.

 'Count Pisano,' Ramage said, 'both the peasant and the Marchesa explained to you before you came to—'

 'A leading question,' interrupted Croucher. 'You must not ask questions that instruct a witness as to the answer he is to give.'

'I beg your pardon, sir.'

He turned back to Pisano.

rWhen did you know that there was only a small boat to rescue you?'

'The peasant told me.'

‘How many were there in your original party?'

'Six.'

'How many eventually decided to come in the boat?'

'You know perfectly well'

'Answer the question.'

'Three.'

Why did the others not come?'

'They did not like the plan.'

'But you did?'

'Yes - no, I mean.'

'You did not like the plan, yet you came?'

'Yes.'

 'You arrived at the boat first, before any of the rest of the party?'

‘Yes.'

'Then what happened?'

'You know perfectly welclass="underline" you arrived at the boat carrying the Marchesa.'

'After that?'

'She was helped on board.'

'By whom?'

'The sailors - and you.'

'But not you.'

'No.'

'Did I get into the boat then?'

'Yes.'

 The man lied so smoothly that Ramage was thrown off his balance.

 'You did not hear me ask one of the seamen where Count Pitti was?'

'No.'

 'You did not see me wade back and go up to the top of the dunes?'

'No.'

'Nor call out for Jackson, the other seaman?'

‘No’.'

Croucher interrupted: ‘You do not seem to be pursuing a profitable line of questioning with this witness, Mr Ramage.'

 No, Ramage thought: he's just going to lie and lie. And all I've done is put Pisano's original story into the court minutes in a more convincing form.

 Croucher told Pisano he could stand down, and then had to explain what the phrase meant.

 Then Croucher looked straight at Ramage: there was a look of triumph in his face, and he said, 'The prisoner will make his defence.'

 Ramage was just about to speak when Croucher said testily, ‘Haven't you written out your defence? Don't say we have to waste time while you dictate it to the Deputy Judge Advocate? Surely you know by now you should read it and give him a copy?'

'If you will allow me, sir...'

‘Well, go on then!'

 'Regarding the loss of the Sibella, I do not feel it necessary to re-call the Bosun and the Carpenter's Mate to give evidence on my behalf: the evidence they have already given in support of the charge makes it clear I did the only thing possible in the circumstances.'

'That is for the court to decide,' commented Croucher.

 Was it worth calling Jackson? What could he add? Ramage decided he would not bother. Instead he said:

 'Of course, sir. But Count Pisano's evidence introduces another aspect of the case not referred to in the charge, and I wish to call one witness in my defence.'

He paused deliberately, knowing Croucher expected him to call Jackson, and waiting for him to get impatient.

'Well, name the witness, then!'

'Call the Marchesa di Volterra.'

 Barrow hurriedly whipped off his spectacles and Croucher banged the table to stop the Marine sentry opening the door and repeating Ramage's words outside.

'You cannot call the Marchesa.'

‘Why not, sir?'

Croucher waved a piece of paper. 'She's not on your own list of witnesses.'

 'But the court has already decided it has the authority to call a witness not listed.'

'The court, yes: but not a prisoner.'

 Ramage glanced at Barrow and saw he had stopped writing and was watching Croucher.

‘With all due respect, sir, I think this should be recorded in the minutes. I have asked for only one witness. Am I to understand the court refuses to call her?'

 'You understand correctly, Mr Ramage. The Judge Advocate General ruled that a person could be called if the court thought that person "capable of giving material testimony". The Marchesa has already told us all she knows; indeed, you insisted her words should be entered in the minutes. The court does not think she can add any further "material testimony" to what she has already said.'

 Ramage rubbed the scar over his forehead. The noose was round his neck now: he'd placed it there himself, and now Croucher was hauling in the slack.

 In writing, set down in the minutes, Croucher's decision would sound reasonable enough... if only he'd - oh, the devil with it.

'Very well, sir, I would like to call a witness who is on my list. Thomas Jackson.'

Any port in a storm, he thought.

 'Carry on, Barrow,' said Croucher smoothly. 'Call the witness.'

 When Jackson came into the cabin Ramage felt less lonely; yet he knew his anchors were dragging. The court would pass a verdict involving cowardice, and anyone reading the minutes would agree with the sentence.

 The American was smartly dressed: he would have made a favourable impression on an unprejudiced court. Taking the oath and answering Barrow's routine questions, he spoke in a clear voice which had only a slight American accent.

 Ramage felt a twinge of conscience as he remembered the American had deliberately made Probus arrest him so that he  could be available as a witness, and only a few moments ago Ramage had decided not to call him...

'You may begin your interrogatories,' Croucher told him.

 'Thank you, sir,' said Ramage automatically - for a moment his mind had been a complete blank. The Sibella - yes, he'd fill in a few blanks there.

 'After Captain Letts had been killed, when did you first see me on deck?'

 'As soon as you dragged yourself up, sir.' ‘Dragged?' repeated Ferris.

'Yes, sir: he was very dazed and bleeding from his wound.'

 ‘From then until we left the ship, for how long were you not at my side?'

'Only a few minutes, sir.'

 'What instructions did I give you prior to leaving the ship?'

 'Several, sir, but you told me to get the charts and logs, and I helped you find the Captain's order book and letter book.'

 'If you had been left the senior surviving rating, what steps would you have taken to keep the ship afloat?'

Would Croucher allow that?

'There were no steps that could be taken, sir: she was sinking too fast'

Good: he'd try another one.

'If you had been in command, how would you have safeguarded the wounded?'

'I don't know, sir,' Jackson said frankly. 'The way you did it was the best, but I'd never have thought of it'

 'Now, the night we took off the Marchesa di Volterra and Count Pisano: will you describe what happened from the time we first heard them approaching us?'

'Yes, sir. Well—'

 At that moment the door of the cabin rattled violently as someone knocked on the framework. It was an urgent knock; a knock intended to warn Captain Croucher the reason for the interruption was important.