A Twist of Sand

"Thank you," said the prosecution. "We shall now pass on to the occasion when Trout stood at action stations for -- how many hours, Elton?"

"Must 'ave been about eight hours, sir," he replied.

"Between the time of your first hearing this extraordinary noise and the time you stood to action stations all day, did you have any cause to suspect that Lieutenant-Commander Peace was not himself."

"Oh yes, sir," smirked Elton. "We all knew 'e was nuts  -- shouting and screaming orders down the voice-pipe, and 'im up alone there with no look-outs. . . ."

The Commander-in-Chief and the senior captain exchanged whispers.

"I presume you will be bringing evidence on this point, Lieutenant?" asked the president.

"Yes, sir, I am afraid so," he replied.

"Don't be afraid," snapped the old seadog. "I want The whole story of Trout's mission." I knew what was passing through my unwilling tormentor's mind -- I've got a cast-iron case against this poor bastard in the dock, but he's had a bloody fine record and I'll let him off the little bits as much as possible.

The judicial captain on the rear-admiral's right came to my rescue.

"Elton, did you have any actual orders from Lieutenant-Commander Peace during this time?"

"No sir," said Elton, falling into the trap. "'E kept Bissett going something cruel, sir. Said Bissett 'ad the best ears in the boat."

"So all this you are saying is merely crew's gossip --  Lieutenant-Commander Peace in fact never gave you personally orders during this period?"

"No sir, but . . ."

"That is all I wanted to know," he said and leaned back. I needed a friend pretty badly, too.

"Now, Elton, tell us about this alleged assault," said the lieutenant.

Elton darted a venomous glance at me. They said he'd been unconscious for two hours after I'd hit him.

"We'd been at action stations all day, sir, and not a sound on the 'ydrophones," he said. "Then the skipper --  I mean Lieutenant-Commander Peace, sir, comes and I seed in his face . . ."

"Only the facts, Elton," said the junior captain.

Elton bridled. "I was saying to Bissett, sir, that the skipper wasn't looking too good and 'ere we'd been eight hours listening for a fartin' whale. . . . Then the skipper --  I mean Lieutenant-Commander Peace, sir -- was standing there looking as if he'd bloody well murder me and then 'e 'it me. When I comed round we was moving."

"What did you say to provoke Lieutenant-Commander Peace into such an extraordinary act for a commanding officer?" asked the rear-admiral.

Elton coloured. "'E overheard me saying 'e was crackers," he mumbled.

The senior captain cut short his narrative, which, told thus coldly in court, sounded too damning.

"You were with Lieutenant-Commander Peace in the Mediterranean, were you not, Elton?"

He looked suspicious.   "Yes, sir, I was."

"He was a good commanding officer and -- if I may say so at this stage -- a very brave one, too, was he not?"

"Yes, sir, 'e was."

"Is it true Trout's crew had a nickname for him?"

"Yes sir. We called 'im ' The Mountie,' because he always got his man."

The court smiled. One up to me, I thought. A past record would only count in mitigation.

"A very brave and daring commanding officer, with the D.S.O. and now two Bars?" persisted the senior captain.

"Yes sir."

"And you never had occasion to query his actions then?"

"No sir."

"And why in this instance, then?"

Elton shuffled. Perhaps he remembered the sinkings and the glory in the Mediterranean.

"I don't want to say nothing against Lieutenant-Commander Peace," he said haltingly. "But this time 'e was different -- I thought. . ."

"You thought, if I may use colloquial language, that he was round the bend?"

"Yes, sir, that's it. I ain't saying nothing against him...."

"Thank you, Elton, that will be all," said the president.

Elton looked across at me half apologetically as he came out of the witness box. He's said enough, I thought.

Bissett, supremely uncomfortable, took his place. After the routine questions, the incident of my striking Elton came to the fore.

"You were the only witness to this extraordinary action," said the lieutenant. "Tell the court what happened -- in your own words."

"I'm afraid I can't sir," Bissett said hesitatingly.

"You can't?" echoed the prosecutor, glancing at his sheaf of papers.

"No, sir. You see, I was busy on the hydrophones. I couldn't hear what was being said between Lieutenant-Commander Peace and Elton, sir. The earpieces were over my ears. I only saw him against the bulkhead afterwards."

Good, loyal Bissett!

The Commander-in-Chief surveyed him with frosty eyes.

"Is that all you have to say about it, Bissett?"

"Yes sir."

The admiral knew his ratings well enough to know Bissett was lying like a sick baby. His glance travelled slowly between Bissett, the prosecuting officer and myself. We all knew.

"Very well," he said coldly. "Get on with this question of the whale."

The lieutenant refreshed himself from his notes.

"The night before the long stand-to at action stations --  when did you first hear this extraordinary noise on the hydrophones ?"