Caine Mutiny, The - Herman Wouk [250]
“Isn’t one of you obviously not telling the truth about that interview?”
“It appears so.”
“Can you prove it isn’t you?”
“Only by citing a clean record of over eight years as a naval officer, against the word of a man on trial for a mutinous act.”
“It’s his word against yours, then, in this matter?”’
“Unfortunately there wasn’t anyone else in my cabin at the time.”
“Commander, did you recommend to the commodore at Ulithi that Maryk be allowed to take the Caine to Lingayen Gulf?”
“I thought that would come up. I did, yes.”
“Despite the fact that, according to your story, you had seen him make a panicky mistake in a tight situation-a mistake of the most disastrous kind?”
“Well, I wasn’t recommending him for command. The commodore put it to me that the Navy desperately needed minesweepers. He asked me to put aside personal considerations. I did put aside personal considerations. Maryk vindicated the training I had given him. And if as a result of that he gets acquitted and I carry a black mark for the rest of my naval career I’ll still say I did the right thing.”
“How could you be sure he wouldn’t make another panicky mistake which would cost all the lives on the Caine?”
“Well, he didn’t, did he? I took a calculated risk, and he didn’t.”
“Commander, the Caine took a Kamikaze hit at Lingayen, and yet Maryk brought the ship back safely. Was that likely in a man given to panicky mistakes?”
“Well, I understand it was a glancing hit, practically a miss. Anyway, for all I know, Keefer took charge in the pinch. Keefer is an outstanding officer, best on the ship. I relied more on him than on Maryk.”
“Commander Queeg, did you ever receive a hundred ten dollars from Lieutenant Junior Grade Keith?”
“I may have. I don’t recall offhand that I did.”
“He testified that you did.”
“I did? On what occasion?”
“On the occasion of a loss of a crate of yours in San Francisco Bay. He assumed responsibility and paid for the loss.”
“Yes. I remember now. It was over a year ago. December or thereabouts. He was responsible for the loss, and insisted on paying, and so he did.”
“What was in the crate that cost a hundred and ten dollars?”
“Personal belongings. I don’t recall. Probably uniforms, books, navigating instruments-the usual.”
“You remember the figure of a hundred and ten dollars?”
“Something like that, I don’t recall exactly.”
“How was Keith responsible for the loss?”
“Well, he was boat officer and in charge of the unloading. He issued foolish and contradictory orders. The men got rattled and the crate fell into the water and sank.”
“A wooden crate full of clothes sank?”
“There were other things in it, I guess. I had some souvenir coral rocks.”
“Commander, wasn’t the crate entirely full of bottles of intoxicating liquor?”
After a barely perceptible pause-the skip of a heartbeat, no more-Queeg answered, “Certainly not.”
“Keith has testified you charged him for thirty-one bottles of liquor.”
“You’ll hear plenty of strange distortions about me from Keith and Maryk. They’re the two culprits here and they’re apt to make all kinds. of strange statements.”
“Did you make this crate yourself?”
“No. My carpenter’s mate did.”
“What was his name?”
“I don’t recall. It’ll be on the personnel records. He’s been gone from the ship a long time.”
“Where is this carpenter’s mate now, Commander?”
“I don’t know. I transferred him to the beach at Funafuti at the request of the commodore for a carpenter. This was back in May.”
“You don’t recall his name?”
“No.”
“Was it Carpenter’s Mate Second Class Otis F. Langhorne?”
“Lang, Langhorne. Sounds right.”
“Commander, there is a Carpenter’s Mate First Class Otis F. Langhorne at present in damage-control school at Treasure Island, right here in the bay. Defense has arranged to subpoena him if necessary.”
Queeg was obviously brought up short. His head sank between his shoulders. He shot a look at Challee. “You’re sure it’s the same one?”
“His service record shows twenty-one months aboard the U.S.S. Caine. Your signature