Caine Mutiny, The - Herman Wouk [233]
“Just talk about whether to ballast.”
“Who wanted to ballast?”
“Well, the captain, or Mr. Maryk, I don’t know which.”
“It’s of the greatest importance that you remember which, Urban.”
“I don’t know nothing about ballasting, sir. All I know is they talked about it.”
“Was the ship ever ballasted that morning?”
“Yes, sir, because I remember I made a note in my log.”
“Who gave the order to ballast?”
“I don’t remember, sir.”
“You don’t remember much!”
“I kept a good log, sir. That was what I was there for.”
Challee turned to Blakely, exclaiming, “I do not believe this witness is heeding the admonition of the court.”
“Urban,” said Blakely, “how old are you?”
“Twenty, sir.”
“What schooling have you had?”
“One year in high school.”
“Have you been telling the whole truth here, or haven’t you?”
“Sir, the quartermaster isn’t supposed to listen to arguments between the captain and the exec. He’s supposed to keep his log. I don’t know why Mr. Maryk relieved the captain.”
“Did you ever see the captain do anything crazy?”
“No, sir.”
“Did you like the captain?”
Urban said miserably, “Sure I liked him, sir.”
“Continue your examination,” said the court to Challee.
“No further questions.”
Greenwald approached the witness platform, flipping the red crayon against his palm. “Urban, were you aboard when the Caine cut its own tow cable outside Pearl Harbor?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What were you doing at the time that it happened?”
“I was-that is, the captain was eating me out-bawling me out-on the bridge.”
“What for?”
“My shirttail was out.”
“And while the captain was discussing your shirttail the ship steamed over its own towline?”
Challee had been regarding the defense counsel with wrinkled brows. He jumped up. “Object to this line of questioning and request the entire cross-examination so far be stricken from the record. Counsel has tricked the witness with leading questions into asserting as a fact that the Caine cut a towline, a material point that was not touched upon in direct examination.”
Greenwald said, “The witness stated he had never seen the captain do anything crazy. I am attempting to refute this. Courts and Boards 282 says leading questions may be freely used on cross-examination.”
The court was cleared. When all the parties returned Blakely said, “Defense counsel will have the opportunity to originate evidence later, and can recall the witness at that time. Objection sustained. Cross-examination thus far will be stricken from the record.”
During the rest of the afternoon Challee called twelve chiefs and sailors of the Caine, all of whom testified briefly and glumly that Queeg had seemed much like any other captain, and had never to their knowledge done anything insane, either before the typhoon, during it, or afterward. The first of these was Bellison. Greenwald’s cross-examination of him consisted of three questions and answers.
“Chief Bellison, what is a paranoid personality?”
“I don’t know, sir.”
“What is the difference between a psychoneurosis and a psychosis?”
“I don’t know, sir.” Bellison wrinkled up his face.
“Could you recognize a neurotic person as such if you encountered one?”
“No, sir.”
To each of the twelve members of the crew, Greenwald put the same three questions and received the same answers. This litany, repeated twelve times, had a cumulating effect of irritation on Challee and on the court. They glared at Greenwald and fidgeted each time he went through the formula.
The court was adjourned after the testimony of the last sailor, Meatball. Maryk and his lawyer walked silently out of the court-martial building together. The last orange rays of a sinking sun were slanting across the bay, and the air was cool and sweet after the stale varnish-and-linoleum smell of the courtroom. They walked to Greenwald’s gray Navy jeep. The gravel walk crunched loudly under their steps. “Have they got us on the run?” Maryk said quietly.
“Who knows?” Greenwald said. “We haven’t gone to bat yet. You know this town. Where can we eat good?”
“I’ll drive.”
Greenwald drank a great many