Chapter Two - Trial
"No." It was not a cry, it was a single word said with the force of a sword thrust. "No." Pellew repeated. "I do not accept that."
"I believed that we were in agreement," Hammond said in a chilly voice. "Captain Sawyer's good name should be protected. For the good of the service."
"Certainly that is highly desirable," Pellew said with coldness matching Hammond's. "The good of the service is my concern as much as yours. But it is not to the good of the service to persecute capable officers. The Navy needs such men."
"We are speaking of mutiny, Commodore. The Navy requires punishment for such a crime."
"It has not yet been demonstrated that any mutiny took place. And it may not be." He had Hornblower's tale to go upon, the knowledge that Captain Sawyer had most certainly been completely unfit for command at the fort. Yet to make that public must be a last resort, and there was always the uncomfortable matter of the captain's fall and the meeting that had preceded it. That was a topic which must be avoided if at all possible. Damn Hammond, why couldn't he let things rest! Convictions were in no- one's interest, not even Sawyer's. To be remembered forever as the captain who had ended his days a victim of mutiny would do his reputation no good service. "I have no intention of condoning mutiny," he said carefully, "but I will not subscribe to the punishment of innocent men."
"And I, Commodore," Hammond replied, "must oppose any attempt to let favouritism influence the outcome of events."
"Are you accusing me?" Pellew growled.
"You cannot deny that two of the accused officers were formerly under your command." That was tricky, favouritism might be as common as weevils in the Navy but no-one was supposed to admit to it.
"I do not deny it," Pellew said. "Nor do I deny that my long knowledge of both men convinces me that neither would raise opposition to a captain who was fit for his command. It is justice that I want from this matter, Captain, and justice is what I intend to see is given."
"That," said Hammond, "is the purpose of a court-martial, is it not?"
"I will not preside over a witch-hunt!"
"And I will not accept a cover-up."
Deadlock.
#
Pellew knew that he needed to think this matter through, before he walked into the court room. He needed to be prepared for all eventualities.
How important was the preserving of Sawyer's reputation? The man was dead. He did have family who could be hurt by seeing him remembered as a madman. There were individuals in the Admiralty who would be embarrassed by revelations of the truth. The Navy itself had survived worse scandals, and recently at that. Sawyer had been a public hero, but the Navy had many heroes and he commanded only a ship not a fleet. The country had endured a mad Prime Minister not so many years ago, it could certainly survive a captain grown too old! Peace would likely be declared in a month or two, the politicians were hammering out the final details now. Exposing the truth could make him enemies at high levels, perhaps finish his career. Not exposing it might finish lives.
That was the crucial point. He did not want scandal if it could be avoided, but he had made his choice. He would not see them die.
#
"Dr Clive," Pellew said grimly, "I would ask you to define what you mean by 'duress'."
"Surely that is self-evident," Clive said, in tones that attempted indignation.
"Under the circumstances, doctor, I believe further explanation is essential. You acknowledge that you did declare the captain unfit?"
"I have said that it was under duress."
"Nonetheless it was done. Now, what was this duress? Was anybody threatening you? Were you manhandled?"
"I did not say that," Clive hedged.
"Come, come, man, there were others present. We can get an account of what happened easily enough, for your own sake I suggest a plain and truthful account, now. Do I take it you were not being threatened or assaulted?"
"Not as such."
"Then what did happen?"
"I was asked, repeatedly, if the captain was fit!"
"Thank you, doctor." No point in antagonising the man too much. "We have then, established that no force was used."
"Who was it put this pressure on you?" Hammond interposed, smoothly. Pellew glared.
"Lt Hornblower," Clive replied with evident relief. Pellew had no intention of ending matters there, however.
"Now, what was the captain's state at the time?"
"His ... state?"
"Dr Clive," Pellew said patiently, "It is recorded in your log that the captain had suffered a head injury in an accidental fall." In fact the word 'accidental' appeared nowhere in the records, but such mischances were common enough. "Now, I understand that you had a great regard for the late Captain Sawyer, but the business of this court-martial is to find the truth, from however many witnesses it takes. Moreover, I think your captain would wish you to speak the truth. If an accident had reduced his ability to command, it must be known. If he were previously deficient in his performance, or if he had lost the ability to command his men, then that must be known too."
He waited to see if Clive had fully understood what he was saying here. That he was determined to expose the truth, and the best protection for Sawyer's reputation – and that of the doctor who had let his condition slide for so long – was to accept a verdict of temporary incapacity.
The doctor struggled. Finally he admitted, "Captain Sawyer was not himself."
"Do you consider that his fall had rendered him temporarily unfit?"
"I do," Clive said grudgingly.
Pellew kept himself from looking relieved. He would have gone further, called every man who'd been on that deck as witness if he had to, but the less washing of dirty linen took place the better, for everyone. "And the claim that the diagnosis was rendered under duress."
Clive looked as though his mouth was full of vinegar, but he said, "On further consideration I believe I overstated."
"Lt Hornblower did not force you in any manner?"
"No."
"No." It was not a cry, it was a single word said with the force of a sword thrust. "No." Pellew repeated. "I do not accept that."
"I believed that we were in agreement," Hammond said in a chilly voice. "Captain Sawyer's good name should be protected. For the good of the service."
"Certainly that is highly desirable," Pellew said with coldness matching Hammond's. "The good of the service is my concern as much as yours. But it is not to the good of the service to persecute capable officers. The Navy needs such men."
"We are speaking of mutiny, Commodore. The Navy requires punishment for such a crime."
"It has not yet been demonstrated that any mutiny took place. And it may not be." He had Hornblower's tale to go upon, the knowledge that Captain Sawyer had most certainly been completely unfit for command at the fort. Yet to make that public must be a last resort, and there was always the uncomfortable matter of the captain's fall and the meeting that had preceded it. That was a topic which must be avoided if at all possible. Damn Hammond, why couldn't he let things rest! Convictions were in no- one's interest, not even Sawyer's. To be remembered forever as the captain who had ended his days a victim of mutiny would do his reputation no good service. "I have no intention of condoning mutiny," he said carefully, "but I will not subscribe to the punishment of innocent men."
"And I, Commodore," Hammond replied, "must oppose any attempt to let favouritism influence the outcome of events."
"Are you accusing me?" Pellew growled.
"You cannot deny that two of the accused officers were formerly under your command." That was tricky, favouritism might be as common as weevils in the Navy but no-one was supposed to admit to it.
"I do not deny it," Pellew said. "Nor do I deny that my long knowledge of both men convinces me that neither would raise opposition to a captain who was fit for his command. It is justice that I want from this matter, Captain, and justice is what I intend to see is given."
"That," said Hammond, "is the purpose of a court-martial, is it not?"
"I will not preside over a witch-hunt!"
"And I will not accept a cover-up."
Deadlock.
#
Pellew knew that he needed to think this matter through, before he walked into the court room. He needed to be prepared for all eventualities.
How important was the preserving of Sawyer's reputation? The man was dead. He did have family who could be hurt by seeing him remembered as a madman. There were individuals in the Admiralty who would be embarrassed by revelations of the truth. The Navy itself had survived worse scandals, and recently at that. Sawyer had been a public hero, but the Navy had many heroes and he commanded only a ship not a fleet. The country had endured a mad Prime Minister not so many years ago, it could certainly survive a captain grown too old! Peace would likely be declared in a month or two, the politicians were hammering out the final details now. Exposing the truth could make him enemies at high levels, perhaps finish his career. Not exposing it might finish lives.
That was the crucial point. He did not want scandal if it could be avoided, but he had made his choice. He would not see them die.
#
"Dr Clive," Pellew said grimly, "I would ask you to define what you mean by 'duress'."
"Surely that is self-evident," Clive said, in tones that attempted indignation.
"Under the circumstances, doctor, I believe further explanation is essential. You acknowledge that you did declare the captain unfit?"
"I have said that it was under duress."
"Nonetheless it was done. Now, what was this duress? Was anybody threatening you? Were you manhandled?"
"I did not say that," Clive hedged.
"Come, come, man, there were others present. We can get an account of what happened easily enough, for your own sake I suggest a plain and truthful account, now. Do I take it you were not being threatened or assaulted?"
"Not as such."
"Then what did happen?"
"I was asked, repeatedly, if the captain was fit!"
"Thank you, doctor." No point in antagonising the man too much. "We have then, established that no force was used."
"Who was it put this pressure on you?" Hammond interposed, smoothly. Pellew glared.
"Lt Hornblower," Clive replied with evident relief. Pellew had no intention of ending matters there, however.
"Now, what was the captain's state at the time?"
"His ... state?"
"Dr Clive," Pellew said patiently, "It is recorded in your log that the captain had suffered a head injury in an accidental fall." In fact the word 'accidental' appeared nowhere in the records, but such mischances were common enough. "Now, I understand that you had a great regard for the late Captain Sawyer, but the business of this court-martial is to find the truth, from however many witnesses it takes. Moreover, I think your captain would wish you to speak the truth. If an accident had reduced his ability to command, it must be known. If he were previously deficient in his performance, or if he had lost the ability to command his men, then that must be known too."
He waited to see if Clive had fully understood what he was saying here. That he was determined to expose the truth, and the best protection for Sawyer's reputation – and that of the doctor who had let his condition slide for so long – was to accept a verdict of temporary incapacity.
The doctor struggled. Finally he admitted, "Captain Sawyer was not himself."
"Do you consider that his fall had rendered him temporarily unfit?"
"I do," Clive said grudgingly.
Pellew kept himself from looking relieved. He would have gone further, called every man who'd been on that deck as witness if he had to, but the less washing of dirty linen took place the better, for everyone. "And the claim that the diagnosis was rendered under duress."
Clive looked as though his mouth was full of vinegar, but he said, "On further consideration I believe I overstated."
"Lt Hornblower did not force you in any manner?"
"No."