he stood. Everyone seemed to have an opinion, and the immediate need to blurt it out loudly. Voices cascaded around him, mingling curiosity, anger, and excitement. It took some determined gaveling by Colonel MacNamara to get the overflow theater crowd of kriegies to quiet down. Behind him, arcing through the jammed throngs of airmen, was a fascination like electricity.
If the trial of Lincoln Scott for the murder of Vincent Bedford was already the best show in town, in one single stroke, Tommy had made it even more compelling, especially to the hundreds of men crippled by the boredom and anxiety of their imprisonment.
By the tenth time MacNamara had shouted 'Order!' the men quieted enough for the proceedings to continue. Walker Townsend was already on his feet, gesturing widely with his arms. So was Major Clark, whose usually red face was now nearly crimson, and Tommy thought he looked like a man on the verge of exploding.
'Your Honor!
'Townsend shouted.
'This is highly irregular!'
MacNamara crashed the gavel down again, even though the room had grown silent enough to continue.
'We would most strenuously protest!' the captain from Virginia persisted.
'To call a member of an enemy force to the stand in the midst of an American trial is outrageous!'
Tommy remained quiet for a moment, waiting for MacNamara to bang his gavel once again, which is what the SAO did, finally turning toward the defense. Tommy took a single step forward, this motion alone doing more to quiet the room behind him than all the hammering from the head of the tribunal.
Kriegies hushed each other and craned forward.
'Colonel,' Tommy began slowly, 'the argument that this request is irregular is silly. This entire proceeding is irregular!
Captain Townsend knows that, and the prosecution has already benefited from the loosening of the ordinary rules governing a military court of justice. He protests simply because he has been caught unprepared. At the beginning of this trial, you promised both defense and prosecution that there would be considerable leeway given both sides in order to find the truth! It was also promised that the defense could call anyone who might assist in establishing innocence. I would merely remind the court of those promises. And remind the court as well, that we are here under unique and special circumstances, and that it is important for all to see the elemental fairness of our democratically applied system of justice. Especially the enemy.'
He crossed his arms again, with the thought that his little speech would have been better had a brass band been playing 'America the Beautiful' in the background, and would have the dual effect of infuriating MacNamara and instantly cementing him into a position where Tommy could not be turned down. He stared directly at the Senior American Officer, doing little to hide the satisfied smirk that he wore.
'Lieutenant,' MacNamara responded coldly, 'you do not have to remind the tribunal of their wartime duties and responsibilities.'
'I'm glad to hear that. Your Honor. Delighted to hear that.'
Tommy knew he was dancing dangerously close to censure.
'Your Honor,' Walker Townsend said angrily, 'I still do not see how this court can permit an officer of an enemy army to testify! I would argue that you could never be sure anything he might say would be truthful!'
As soon as he spoke, Townsend appeared stricken by the words that had tumbled from his mouth. Too late he saw the mistake in the claim he made. In one sentence, he'd insulted two men.
'The court is more than capable of determining the truthfulness of any witness, captain, regardless of where they come from, and where their allegiances might rest,' MacNamara replied dryly, far more caustically than he had before when making the same comment.
Tommy snuck a glance over at Heinrich Visser. The German was standing.
His own face was pale, and his jaw tight. His eyes had narrowed, but he was glaring at Walker Townsend, not at Tommy. He looked like a man who had just been slapped across the cheek by a rival.
This, Tommy had half-expected. Visser was probably infuriated at being called to the stand. But, Tommy suspected, he was undoubtedly far more outraged at having his pristine Nazi integrity challenged. Nothing was more irritating than hearing oneself called a liar before one has a chance to utter a single word.
MacNamara rubbed his chin and nose once, then turned toward the one-armed German.
'Hauptmann,' he said slowly, 'I am inclined to allow this. Are you willing to take the stand?'
Visser hesitated. Tommy could see him measuring as many factors as possible in those seconds. He began to open his mouth to reply, when there was a sudden, booming voice from the rear of the theater.
'The Hauptmann will certainly testify, colonel!'
Heads pivoted in unison to see Commandant Von Reiter standing in the doorway. He stepped forward, his polished black riding boots striking against the wooden plank flooring like so many pistol reports.
Von Reiter arrived in the front of the courtroom, clicked his heels together and made a small salute and bow, simultaneously.
'Of course, colonel,' he said briskly, 'the Hauptmann will be restricted from dispensing any critical military information, you understand? And he will not be able to answer questions that might compromise war secrets. But, as to his understanding of this crime, why, I would think his expertise would be most helpful for the court in determining the truth of this most unfortunate event!'
Von Reiter half-turned, nodding toward Visser, before he added: 'And, colonel, I can personally attest to his integrity!
Hauptmann Visser is a highly decorated officer! He is a man of complete honor and commands utter respect from his subordinates!
Please, be so kind as to swear him in promptly.'
Visser kept a flat, poker face, and stepped forward slowly and clearly reluctantly, even more so. Tommy imagined, because he now had Von
Reiter's blessing and he was undoubtedly assessing how the commandant might seize some political advantage from his testifying. He sharply saluted his commanding officer, turned to Colonel MacNamara, and said,
'I am prepared, colonel.' The Senior American Officer shoved the Bible toward him, and motioned toward the witness chair.
'Sir,' Captain Townsend tried one last time, 'again, I protest…'
MacNamara scowled and shook his head.
'Here is your witness. Lieutenant Hart. Let's see what you make of him.'
Tommy nodded in response to that particular challenge.
He noticed a small malevolent grin on Von Reiter's face as the camp commandant took up a position in a seat by a window, sitting on the edge of the chair and leaning forward, just like the prisoners in the camp, eager to hear every word. Then Tommy turned, and faced Visser.
For a moment, he tried to reconnoiter the German's unspoken language, trying to read the man in the tilt of his head, the lingering narrowing of his eyes, the set of his jaw, and the way he crossed his legs.
Visser was a man of deep hatreds and angers. Tommy thought. The problem Tommy faced was sorting through them all and finding the right ones to help Lincoln Scott-although he understood, simply from the way Visser tossed a single furious glance over at Townsend, that the prosecution, by questioning his integrity, had already helped Tommy on the path to Visser's core.
Tommy cleared his throat.
'Just for the official record, Hauptmann, would you give us your full name and rank.'
'Hauptmann Heinrich Albert Visser. I am currently a captain in the
