Hammond Innes - The Doomed Oasis

‘That’s about it.’

‘Could you stand?’

‘I don’t know. I didn’t try.’

‘Could you have lifted a rifle to your shoulder and fired it?’

‘If they’d attacked us I expect I’d have managed somehow.’

‘But you were so weak that it would have required the urgency of an attack to give you the strength to lift even a rifle to your shoulder?’

David hesitated. ‘I suppose so,’ he murmured. And then in a clearer voice, ‘It’s difficult to explain to you people here. But everything was an effort by then. Everything,’ he repeated.

‘Quite so. And if you couldn’t lift a rifle to your shoulder except in a moment of great urgency, then you’d hardly have had the strength to descend from the tower by that ladder and then climb back up again and pull the ladder ‘Objection!’ Counsel for the Prosecution was on his feet facing the Judge. ‘The Defence is putting words into the witness’s mouth.’

But Counsel for the Defence had made his point. ‘I will re-phrase the question then.’ And turning to the witness box again, he asked, ‘Did you at any time on the morning in question, and before the Trucial Oman Scouts arrived to take over the fort, leave the tower for any purpose whatsoever?’

‘No, sir.’

‘Did you at any time attempt to lower the ladder?’

‘No.’

The Court breathed an audible sigh. ‘One more question before we come to the moment of the meeting with your father: Did you know that the Trucial Oman Scouts would move into the Emirate of Hadd that day? In other words, had you any reason to suppose that your ordeal was nearing its end?’

‘None at all.’

‘We have the evidence of Mr Grant that from their position six miles away beyond the Hadd border they could see the fort quite clearly through field glasses. Could you see them? In other words, could you see that over a dozen vehicles had materialized at that position during the night?’

‘No.’

‘As far as you were concerned, nothing had altered that morning — your situation remained as desperate?’

‘Yes.’

‘All you knew of what was going on in the world outside was what Mr Grant had told you two days before.’

That’s right.’

Counsel paused, again consulting his papers. ‘Now we come to the moment of your father’s arrival at the fort. You’d no reason to expect him?’

‘How could I?’

‘Quite so. I suppose you’ve no idea what time it was when he arrived?’

David shook his head. ‘My watch had stopped. I’d forgotten to wind it a few days back. All I know is the sun had been up some time.’

‘Had you any warning that you were going to receive a visitor?’

‘There was some shouting; an order in Arabic not to fire. It was given by a man holding a white flag. The last time that had happened was when Mr Grant came with Captain Berry.’

‘That was the occasion on which a treacherous attempt had been made on your life?’ And when David nodded, Counsel added, ‘And on that occasion you had taken the precaution of sending bin Suleiman to the top of the tower, just in case. Did you take the same precaution this time?’

‘No.’

‘Why not?’

‘He was unconscious.’

‘And you hadn’t the strength to climb up there yourself?’

‘No.’

‘Would you tell the Court please what happened when your father arrived.’

‘Well … ‘ David hesitated, his eyes glancing quickly round the courtroom. Finally he turned towards the Judge. ‘I thought it was an Arab at first — one of the Emir’s men. He came in by the main gate, and he was dressed in Arab clothes, you see. I didn’t recognize him — my eyes weren’t too good. But then he stopped just inside the gate and called me by name and said who he was.’

‘Were you surprised to see him?’

David shrugged. ‘He was there. That was all there was to it.’ And he added, ‘No, I don’t think I was surprised. When you’re in the state I was, you just don’t register anything.’

‘What happened then?’

‘Well, he came to the foot of the tower and we talked.’

‘What about?’

‘I don’t remember.’

‘He wanted you to abandon the fort, didn’t he?’

‘At first.’

‘He changed his mind then?’

‘Yes.’

‘What made him change his mind?’

An obstinate look had come into David’s face. ‘He just changed it, that’s all.’

‘Was that after you’d told your father that your defence of the fort had made headline news back home?’

‘I don’t remember.’

‘You did tell him that, didn’t you? You did pass on to him this information which you had obtained from Mr Grant?’

‘I don’t know. I expect so.’

‘Was your father surprised?’ And when David didn’t answer. Counsel went on, ‘What I want the Court to know is whether or not Colonel Whitaker knew about the newspaper stories of your exploits and the fact, that there had been questions in the House. The evidence at the moment points to the fact that he couldn’t have known before you told him. Would you agree?’

‘I really can’t say.’

‘But he must have made some comment, shown some reaction?’

‘I tell you, I don’t remember. I wasn’t in a fit state to remember details.’

‘You were talking to him from one of the embrasures of the tower or from the entrance hole?’

‘From the embrasure. I should have been an easier target if I’d dragged myself to the entrance hole and I was afraid of getting sniped at.’

‘And the whole interview was carried on with you in that same position. You didn’t move at all?’

‘No.’

‘Where was Colonel Whitaker?’

‘Standing right below me.’

‘Could you see him?’

‘Yes.’

‘And when the interview was ended; where did he go then?’

‘I think he moved nearer to the tower, away to my right. I can’t be sure, but I lost sight of him.’

‘Towards the cliff-top?’

‘Yes.’

‘And what happened then?’

‘Well, a little time passed, and then … then there was a shot.’

‘A rifle shot or a pistol shot?’

‘It was a rifle shot.’

‘You’re certain of that?’

‘Yes.’

‘And after the shot, was there any other sound?’

‘Yes, a sound of falling stones. That’s when I knew he’d gone over the cliff.’

‘What did you do then?’

‘I dragged myself to the southern embrasure, but I couldn’t see directly down the cliff face so I didn’t know what had happened. I tried to call out to him, but I don’t think my voice made any real sound.’

Counsel leaned forward, his voice pitched low. ‘You’ve heard a ballistics expert give it as his opinion that your father was killed by a bullet from a pistol, not a rifle.’

‘It was a rifle.’

Counsel stared at him and the whole Court could see the quandary he was in. But the evidence that had gone before had to be disposed of. ‘You have also heard Dr Logan’s evidence. He has said that post-mortem examination strongly suggests that the shot that killed your father was fired at close range. He, too, thinks it was a pistol shot.’

‘How do they know?’ David said almost belligerently. They didn’t find the bullet, did they? And they weren’t there. I was, and I’m telling you it was a rifle shot.’

The Judge leaned forward. ‘I would like to get this quite clear. You have said that your condition was such that you cannot remember what passed between you. You have, in fact, left the Court with the impression that your powers of perception at that time were at a very low ebb. Yet on this point of the shot, you are quite categorical. You say it was a rifle shot?’

‘Yes, sir.’