The reporters were scribbling furiously. This was the big moment and when the Court adjourned there would be a rush for the telephone to catch the daily papers before they went to press.
‘On the morning in question, were there any shots fired — other than the shot that killed your father?’
‘No, none.’
‘Did that strike you as unusual?’
‘I can’t remember that I thought about it. It was some time since any shots had been fired. They were lying quiet, you see, hoping we’d think there was nobody there and get careless. But we knew the bastards were there, waiting for us.’
‘So you remained inside the tower?’
‘Of course. I hadn’t been out of the tower since Mr Grant came up to talk to me. There wasn’t any point. It was cooler there and the walls were good protection.’
‘Was there any other reason you didn’t leave it?’
‘I tell you, man, they were lying out there waiting for us. I wasn’t risking being shot at when there wasn’t any point.’
‘Quite so. But what I’m getting at is this: wasn’t it a fact that you were too weak by then to attempt a descent from the tower?’
‘Well, yes, I suppose so. Anyway, there wasn’t any reason for us to be wasting what little strength we had left to no purpose.’
‘Were you weak because of lack of water or lack of food — or was it because you were wounded that you hadn’t the strength to leave the tower?’
‘I tell you, there wasn’t any point.’ His tone was irritable; he didn’t seem to understand what his Counsel was trying to establish.
‘When had you last had any food?’
‘I can’t remember. We’d some dried camel meat left, but it wasn’t any use to us. We couldn’t swallow.it. We did try and chew it, but it was very painful and in the end we didn’t ‘bother.’
‘You couldn’t chew because of lack of water?’
‘Yes. We’d no saliva and our tongues were swollen and quite black. Our mouths were absolutely dry.’
‘Had you any water left?’
‘Captain Berry had given me a water bottle. We’d finished our own supplies and now that bottle was half empty.’
‘Your situation then was quite desperate.’
‘Pretty desperate.’
‘I want the Court to be absolutely clear about this.’ Counsel paused, glancing from the Judge to the crowded press desks. ‘In your opinion, how much longer do you think you could have held out? In other words-’ And here he spoke slowly and with great emphasis — ‘How long before you were dead of thirst?’
David shook his head. ‘I can’t be certain. We’d have finished the water bottle that day. If we’d been left alone we might have stayed alive a few days more.’
‘You heard the evidence of Doctor Logan who saw you when you arrived in Sharjah. He said you were in such a weak condition that he didn’t believe you could have lasted more than another twenty-four hours.’
David’s head went up. ‘That all depends on how urgently you want to stay alive, doesn’t it? I’d have lasted longer than that. But not if they’d attacked us.’
Counsel seized on this. ‘You say, not if they’d attacked you. Do you mean you were too weak by then to defend yourselves?’
‘That’s about it.’
‘Could you stand?’
‘I don’t know. I didn’t try.’
‘Could you have lifted a rifle to your shoulder and fired it?’
‘If they’d attacked us I expect I’d have managed somehow.’
‘But you were so weak that it would have required the urgency of an attack to give you the strength to lift even a rifle to your shoulder?’
David hesitated. ‘I suppose so,’ he murmured. And then in a clearer voice, ‘It’s difficult to explain to you people here. But everything was an effort by then. Everything,’ he repeated.
‘Quite so. And if you couldn’t lift a rifle to your shoulder except in a moment of great urgency, then you’d hardly have had the strength to descend from the tower by that ladder and then climb back up again and pull the ladder ‘Objection!’ Counsel for the Prosecution was on his feet facing the Judge. ‘The Defence is putting words into the witness’s mouth.’
But Counsel for the Defence had made his point. ‘I will re-phrase the question then.’ And turning to the witness box again, he asked, ‘Did you at any time on the morning in question, and before the Trucial Oman Scouts arrived to take over the fort, leave the tower for any purpose whatsoever?’
‘No, sir.’
‘Did you at any time attempt to lower the ladder?’
‘No.’
The Court breathed an audible sigh. ‘One more question before we come to the moment of the meeting with your father: Did you know that the Trucial Oman Scouts would move into the Emirate of Hadd that day? In other words, had you any reason to suppose that your ordeal was nearing its end?’
‘None at all.’
‘We have the evidence of Mr Grant that from their position six miles away beyond the Hadd border they could see the fort quite clearly through field glasses. Could you see them? In other words, could you see that over a dozen vehicles had materialized at that position during the night?’
‘No.’
‘As far as you were concerned, nothing had altered that morning — your situation remained as desperate?’
‘Yes.’
‘All you knew of what was going on in the world outside was what Mr Grant had told you two days before.’
That’s right.’
Counsel paused, again consulting his papers. ‘Now we come to the moment of your father’s arrival at the fort. You’d no reason to expect him?’
‘How could I?’
‘Quite so. I suppose you’ve no idea what time it was when he arrived?’
David shook his head. ‘My watch had stopped. I’d forgotten to wind it a few days back. All I know is the sun had been up some time.’
‘Had you any warning that you were going to receive a visitor?’
‘There was some shouting; an order in Arabic not to fire. It was given by a man holding a white flag. The last time that had happened was when Mr Grant came with Captain Berry.’
‘That was the occasion on which a treacherous attempt had been made on your life?’ And when David nodded, Counsel added, ‘And on that occasion you had taken the precaution of sending bin Suleiman to the top of the tower, just in case. Did you take the same precaution this time?’
‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘He was unconscious.’
‘And you hadn’t the strength to climb up there yourself?’
‘No.’
‘Would you tell the Court please what happened when your father arrived.’
‘Well … ‘ David hesitated, his eyes glancing quickly round the courtroom. Finally he turned towards the Judge. ‘I thought it was an Arab at first — one of the Emir’s men. He came in by the main gate, and he was dressed in Arab clothes, you see. I didn’t recognize him — my eyes weren’t too good. But then he stopped just inside the gate and called me by name and said who he was.’
‘Were you surprised to see him?’
David shrugged. ‘He was there. That was all there was to it.’ And he added, ‘No, I don’t think I was surprised. When you’re in the state I was, you just don’t register anything.’
‘What happened then?’
‘Well, he came to the foot of the tower and we talked.’
‘What about?’
‘I don’t remember.’
‘He wanted you to abandon the fort, didn’t he?’
‘At first.’
‘He changed his mind then?’
‘Yes.’
‘What made him change his mind?’
An obstinate look had come into David’s face. ‘He just changed it, that’s all.’
‘Was that after you’d told your father that your defence of the fort had made headline news back home?’
‘I don’t remember.’
‘You did tell him that, didn’t you? You did pass on to him this information which you had obtained from Mr Grant?’
‘I don’t know. I expect so.’
‘Was your father surprised?’ And when David didn’t answer. Counsel went on, ‘What I want the Court to know is whether or not Colonel Whitaker knew about the newspaper stories of your exploits and the fact, that there had been questions in the House. The evidence at the moment points to the fact that he couldn’t have known before you told him. Would you agree?’