Caine Mutiny, The - Herman Wouk [234]
He seemed queerer and queerer to Maryk. The exec abandoned hope-with his mind; he was convinced that Queeg, Keefer, and Urban had finished him off in the first day. But he clung to a shred of irrational faith in his strange defender. The prospect of being convicted was so awful that he had to believe in something. The maximum penalty was dismissal and fifteen years’ imprisonment.
CHAPTER 34
The Court-Martial-Second Day, Morning
“Okay, Lieutenant Keith,” said an orderly, opening the door to the anteroom at two minutes past ten.
Willie followed him blindly. They passed through several doors, and suddenly they were in the courtroom, and Willie felt the shooting tingles in his arms and legs that he had felt when the Caine approached an invasion beach. The room was a frightening blur of solemn faces; the American flag seemed gigantic, and its red, white, and blue terribly vivid, like a flag in a color movie. He found himself on the witness platform, being sworn, and could not have told how he got there. Challee’s face was gray and forbidding. “Mr. Keith, were you officer of the deck of the Caine during the forenoon watch on 18 December?”
“I was.”
“Was the captain relieved of command by the executive. officer during that watch?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know why the executive officer took the action he did?”
“Yes. The captain had lost control of himself and the ship, and we were in imminent danger of foundering.”
“How many years have you served at sea, Lieutenant?”
“One year and three months.”
“Have you ever been in a ship that foundered?”
“No.”
“Do you know how many years Commander Queeg has served at sea?”
“No.”
“As a matter of fact, Commander Queeg has served over eight years. Which of you is better qualified to judge whether a ship is foundering or not?”
“Myself, sir, if I’m in possession of my faculties and Commander Queeg isn’t.”
“What makes you think he isn’t in possession of his faculties?”
“He wasn’t on the morning of December 18.”
“Have you studied medicine or psychiatry?”
“No.”
“What qualifies you to judge whether your commanding officer was in possession of his faculties on December 18?”
“I observed his behavior.”
“Very well, Lieutenant. Describe to the court everything about your captain’s behavior which indicated loss of his faculties.”
“He froze to the engine-room telegraph. His face showed petrified terror. It was green. His orders were sluggish and vague, and not appropriate.”
“Is it for the officer of the deck, Mr. Keith, a junior with one year at sea, to judge whether or not his captain’s orders are appropriate?”
“Not ordinarily. But when the ship is in danger of going down and the captain’s ship handling is increasing the danger instead of countering it, the OOD can’t help observing it.”
“Did Captain Queeg foam, or rave, or make nonsensical statements, or insane gestures?”
“No. He seemed to be paralyzed with terror.”
“Paralyzed, yet he issued orders?”
“As I say, the orders were not helping matters, but making them worse.”
“Be specific, Lieutenant. In what way were his orders making things worse?”
“Well, he kept insisting on going down-wind, when the ship was yawing so badly it was broaching to. And he refused to ballast.”
“Refused? Who asked him to ballast?”
“Mr. Maryk.”
“Why did the captain refuse?”
“He said he didn’t want to contaminate the tanks with salt water.”
“After being relieved, did Captain Queeg go violently crazy?”
“No.”
“Describe the captain’s manner after being relieved of command.”
“Well, actually, he seemed better afterward. I think he felt better as soon as he no longer had the responsibility-”
“No opinions, Mr. Keith. Tell the court not what you think, but what you observed,