Desmond Bagley - The Snow Tiger / Night of Error

‘Yes, Mr Chairman.’ Gunn did not seem put out; he was aware that he had made his point. ‘Dr McGill, you have given evidence that Mr Quentin, the elected union leader at Hukahoronui mine, seemed – and I use the word advisedly – seemed to be more intent on filling the pockets of his comrades than in preserving their lives. Now, Mr Quentin is not here to defend himself – he was killed in the disaster at Hukahoronui – and since I represent the union I must defend Mr Quentin. I put it to you that your recollection of this meeting so long ago may be incorrect.’

‘No, sir; it is not incorrect.’

‘Come, Dr McGill; note that I said that your evidence may be incorrect. Surely there is no loss of face in admitting that you may be wrong?’

‘My evidence was correct, sir.’

‘To traduce a dead man when it is not necessary is not thought to be good manners, sir. No doubt you have heard the tag, “ De mortuis nil nisi bonum. ” ‘ Gunn waved his arm largely. ‘The good and wise men who caused this hall to be built saw fit to include cogent aphorisms in these windows to guide them in their deliberations. I draw your attention to the text in the windows just above your head, Dr McGill. It reads: “Be not a hypocrite in the sight of men, and talk good when thou speakest.”’

McGill was silent, and Gunn said, ‘Well, Dr McGill?’

‘I was not aware that I had been asked a question,’ said McGill quietly.

Harrison shifted uneasily on his seat and seemed about to interrupt, but Gunn waved his arm again. ‘If it is your claim to have a memory so much better than other men then I must accept it, I suppose.’

‘I have an average memory, sir. And I keep a diary.’

‘Oh!’ Gunn was wary. ‘Regularly?’

‘As regularly as need be. I am a scientist who investigates snow, which is an evanescent and ever-changing substance, so I am accustomed to taking notes on the spot.’

‘Are you saying that while that very meeting was in progress you were actually taking written notes of what was said?’

‘No, sir.’

‘Ha! Then a period of time must have elapsed between the meeting and when you wrote down your impressions. Is that not so?’

‘Yes, sir. Half an hour. I wrote up my diary in my bedroom half an hour after the meeting ended. I consulted my diary this morning before I came to this hearing to refresh my memory.’

‘And you still insist on your evidence as it relates to Mr Quentin?’

‘I do.’

‘Do you know how Mr Quentin died?’

‘I know very well how Mr Quentin died.’

‘No more questions,’ said Gunn with an air of disgust. ‘I am quite finished with this witness.’

McGill glanced at Harrison. ‘May I add something?’

‘If it has a bearing on what we are trying to investigate.’

‘I think it has.’ McGill looked up at the roof of the hall, and then his gaze swept down towards Gunn. ‘I also have been studying the texts in the windows, Mr Gunn, and one, in particular, I have taken to heart. It is in a window quite close to you, and it reads: “Weigh thy words in a balance lest thou fall before him that lieth in wait.”’

A roar of laughter broke the tension in the hall and even Harrison smiled, while Rolandson guffawed outright. Harrison thumped with his gavel and achieved a modicum of quiet.

McGill said, ‘As for your Latin tag, Mr Gunn, I have never believed that latinity confers virtue on stupidity, and therefore I do not believe that one should never speak ill of the dead. I believe in the truth, and the truth is that the death toll in the Hukahoronui disaster was much higher than need be. The reason lies in the actions, reactions and inactions of many men who were confronted with an unprecedented situation beyond their understanding. Mr Quentin was one such man. I know that he died in the disaster, and I know that he died heroically. Nevertheless, the truth must be told so that other men, in the future, when faced with a similar situation will know the right things to do.’

‘ Mr Chairman! ’ Gunn was waving his arm, but Rickman had beaten him to it. He was on his feet, finger upraised. ‘This is monstrous! Must a witness make speeches and lecture us to tell us our duty? Must …’

Harrison’s gavel cracked down sharply, cutting off Rickman in mid-spate. ‘Mr Rickman, may I again remind you that this is not a court of law and that procedure is at my sole discretion. Dr McGill has just restated the nature and intention of this Commission of Inquiry in words more well chosen and acute than I myself used yesterday during the opening proceedings. I have noted in counsel a regrettable tendency to adversary tactics, a practice against which I warned you. I will have no more of it.’

There was a dead silence.

Dan Edwards was busily scribbling. ‘Boy, oh boy, oh boy! Good copy at last.’ He tore off a sheet and handed it to a youth behind him. ‘Get that back to the office as fast as you can.’

Harrison laid down his gavel. ‘Dr McGill: you say that the mine management had a meeting with the Hukahoronui Town Council on the afternoon of Friday, the fifth of July.’

‘No, sir. I said that was the arrangement at the meeting in the morning. In the event it proved to be impossible.’

‘Why?’

‘Three of the councillors were absent from town that day and it was impossible to find a quorum. The meeting was held next morning – the Saturday morning.’

‘A delay of half a day.’

‘Yes, sir.’ McGill hesitated. ‘Mr Ballard and I debated whether or not to approach the two councillors who remained in town and we decided against it. Our view was that such an important matter should be communicated to the council as a whole; we did not want to tell a complicated story twice.’

‘So you met on the Saturday?’

‘Yes, sir. There was one other person present at my request.’

‘Oh, who was that?’

‘Mr Turi Buck. I have to tell you that I was not present during the entire meeting. I left half way through.’

Harrison bent forward and said to Reed, ‘Is Mr Buck present?’

‘Yes, Mr Chairman.’ Reed turned in his seat. ‘Will you step forward, Mr Buck?’

Turi Buck came forward and stood before the rostrum. ‘Were you present during the entire meeting under discussion, Mr Buck?’ Harrison asked.

‘Yes, sir; I was.’ Turi’s voice was strong.

‘Then you will replace Dr McGill in the witness chair.’

McGill stepped down and went back to his place, winking at Ballard as he passed.

Harrison said, ‘Mr Buck, would you be related to that illustrious member of your race, Sir Peter Buck?’

A ghost of a smile hovered on Turi’s seamed face. ‘No, sir.’

‘I see.’ Harrison drew his note-pad towards him. ‘Can you tell us who was present at this meeting?’

‘There was Ia … Mr Ballard and Mr Cameron from the mine. Dr McGill was there. And there was Mr Houghton, the mayor, and Mr Peterson – that’s to say John Peterson – and Eric Peterson, Mr Warrick and Mrs Samson.’

‘The last five were members of the council?’

‘Yes, sir.’

Harrison consulted a list. ‘Wasn’t Mr Quentin present?’

‘Oh yes; he was there. I forgot about him.’

‘Well, Mr Buck, perhaps you can tell us what went on at the meeting.’

Turi frowned. ‘It started off by Dr McGill telling of what he’d found. From what I’ve been hearing while I’ve been here I’d say it was just what he’d said at the meeting at the mine on the Friday. He told them there was a danger of avalanche and he told them why.’

‘What was the general reaction?’

‘They didn’t believe him.’

Lyall put up his hand. ‘Mr Chairman.’