Ballard straightened. 'Let's get one thing quite clear,' he said. 'As of yesterday Dr McGill became a professional consultant employed by this company to give us advice on certain problems. His qualifications satisfy me completely.'
'You didn't talk to me about this,' said Dobbs. Ballard gave him a level stare. 'I wasn't aware I had to, Mr Dobbs. You are so informed now.'
'Does the Chairman know about this?' 'He'll know when I tell him, which will be very soon.' Quentin was earnest. 'Look, Mr Ballard; I've been listening carefully. There's not been an avalanche, and your friend hasn't said there's going to be one. All he's been talking about are potentials. I think the Board is going to need a lot more than that before they spend a million and a half dollars. I don't think this mine is going to close -- not on this kind of talk.'
'What do you want?' asked McGill. 'Avalanche first -- and protection later?'
'I'm protecting the men's jobs,' said Quentin. 'That's what they put me in here for.'
'Dead men don't have jobs,' said McGill brutally. 'And while we're at it, let's get another thing quite clear. Mr Ballard has said that he has engaged me as a professional consultant, and that is quite true. But fundamentally I don't give one good goddamn about the mine.'
'The Chairman will be delighted to hear it,' said Dobbs acidly. He looked at Ballard. 'I don't think we need carry on with this any more.'
'Carry on, Mike,' said Ballard quietly. 'Tell them the rest. Tell them what's really worrying you.'
McGill said, 'I'm worried about the town.'
There was a silence for the space of ten heartbeats and then Cameron cleared his throat. 'It's snowing again,' he said, not altogether inconsequentially.
'That just about finished the meeting,' said McGill. 'It was decided that the mine management should consult with the town council that afternoon, if possible. Then Mr Ballard was to communicate with the Presi... Chairman of his company.'
Gunn had his hand up, and Harrison said, 'Yes, Mr Gunn?'
'May I question the witness, Mr Chairman?' Harrison inclined his head, and Gunn proceeded. 'Dr McGill, the meeting you have just described took place a long time ago, did it not?'
'The meeting took place on the fifth of July. On the Friday morning.'
'It is now December -- nearly five months later. Would you say that you have a good memory, Dr McGill?'
'About average.'
'About average! I put it to you that you have a much better than average memory.'
'If you say so.'
'Indeed, I do say so. When I listened to your evidence -- when you related the conversations of others ad verbatim -- I was put in mind of a stage performance I saw quite recently in which a so-called memory man amazed an audience.'
'Mr Gunn,' interjected Harrison. 'Irony and sarcasm may, or may not, have their place in a law court; they have certainly no place here. Please refrain.'
'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 in-correct. 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 roll 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 d
ay 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.
EIGHT
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 notepad towards him. 'Can you tell us who was present at this meeting?'
'There was la ... 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 War-rick 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.'
'Yes, Mr Lyall?'
'It is incumbent on me to point out that of the ten people present at the meeting only four are able to be here at this inquiry. I ought to add that of the five council members only Mr Eric Peterson is able to be here.'
Harrison stared at him. 'Now that you have given me that information -- of which, I might add, I was well aware -- what am I supposed to do with it?'
'With respect, sir, one might think that Mr Eric Peterson is best qualified to give the reaction of the council.'
'Does Mr Peterson wish to be a witness?'
'He does.'
'Then he will have his chance later. At present we are hearing the evidence of Mr Buck.'
'Again with respect, Mr Chairman; may I point out that of the original mine management only Mr Ballard is here. Mr Dobbs and Mr Quentin are dead, and Mr Cameron is in hospital. It is well known in Hukahoronui that Mr Ballard and Mr Buck are friends of many years standing, and there has been evidence given here of the friendship between Mr Ballard and Dr McGill. It may be thought that the evidence given here is, shall we say, too one-sided.'
Harrison leaned back in his chair. 'It is evident, Mr Lyall, that you are doing at least one of two things. You are impugning the integrity of this Commission, or you are questioning the honesty of Mr Buck. Possibly you are doing both. Do I understand you correctly?'
'I do not question the integrity of the Commission, sir.'
Turi's face was stricken as he half rose from his chair. Ian Ballard wriggled in his seat. He dug his elbow into Rickman's ribs, and said, 'The bastard! the utter bastard! Intervene and get on with that line of questioning I gave you.'
Rickman shook his head. 'It would be most unwise. It wouldn't be in the interests of the company.' He twisted his head and looked at Lyall. 'See how he's stirring things up.'
'But, God damn it, he's making us into some sort of conspiracy.'
Rickman stared at him unwinkingly. 'But not involving the company,' he snapped.
Turi Buck lifted his hands helplessly. They were trembling as he said to Harrison, 'May I be excused from the witness chair, sir?'
'No, you may not, Mr Buck.' Harrison turned his head. 'Yes, Mr Ballard?'
Ballard lowered his hand. 'I would like to question Mr Buck.'
Harrison frowned. 'I thought you had representation, Mr Ballard. I gave warning at the beginning of this hearing that I would not allow it to be turned into a free-for-all.'
Ballard said, 'As of thirty seconds ago Mr Rickman ceased to represent me personally. He will, of course, continue to represent the company.'
A wave of noise washed across the hall. Amid the uproar Rickman said, 'You bloody young fool! What the devil do you think you're doing.'
'You're fired,' said Ballard briefly.
Harrison wielded his gavel lustily and at last achieved relative quietness. 'If there is any more uproar I will have the public gallery cleared,' he announced. 'These proceedings will be conducted in an orderly manner.' He waited until there was utter silence, broken only by the creaking of the old wooden floor, before he addressed Ballard. 'Are you asking for an adjournment so that you may obtain a new legal adviser?'
'No, sir. For today, at least, I am content to represent myself. I do not wish to waste the time of the Commission.'
Harrison allowed himself a wintry smile. 'Very laudable. I wish the legal fraternity would follow your example. And you wish to interrogate Mr Buck?'
'Yes, sir.'
'I object,' said Rickman. 'Apart from the personal insult to me in being dismissed so cavalierly and in public, I consider this to be most irregular.'
Harrison sighed. 'Mr Rickman, you have been told many times that the procedure of this Commission is a matter for my discretion. Even in a law court it has not been unknown for a person to represent himself, choosing not to enlist the aid -- or otherwise -- of a lawyer. Therefore I will allow it.' He held up his hand. 'And I will entertain no argument about it. Proceed, Mr Ballard.'
Ballard smiled at Turi. 'I will not comment on any remarks that have been made here, but will go on from your last relevant statement. Mr Buck, you said that the councillors did not believe Dr McGill when he informed them of avalanche hazard. What were their reasons for disbelief?'
'They said there had never been avalanches in the valley.'
'Did they? Mr Chairman, is it possible to have a map of the valley on view?'
'Provision has been made. Mr Reed, will you see to it.'
Presently a large-scale map was set up on an easel behind the witness chair. Harrison said, 'Since this map is evidence of a sort we must be sure that it is the best evidence. Mr Reed, call your technical witness, please.'
'Call Mr Wheeler.'
Wheeler was new to Ballard, who regarded him with interest. He returned his gaze to the map, and his eyes narrowed suddenly. Reed said, 'What is your full name?'
'Harold Herbert Wheeler.'
Harrison said, 'There is no need for you to take the witness chair, Mr Wheeler. Your evidence is technical and will not take long. What is your occupation?'
'I am a cartographer employed by the Lands and Survey Department of the New Zealand Government.'
'And you have prepared this map especially for this Inquiry?'
'That is correct, sir.'
'What does the map represent?'
'It depicts the Hukahoronui Valley, including the township of Hukahoronui. The scale is one in two thousand, five hundred; that in twenty-five inches to the mile approximately.'
'Does it represent the valley before or after the disaster?'
'Before, sir. It is draw
n according to the latest information available to the Topographical Office.'
'Thank you, Mr Wheeler. That will be all.'
Ballard said, 'Could Mr Wheeler hold himself available for possible further questions?'
Harrison wrinkled his brow. 'I suppose so, Mr Ballard. You will stay available, Mr Wheeler.'
Ballard studied the map. 'Mr Buck, I would like you, if you will, to point out on this map your own house.' Turi stood up and indicated a point on the map with his finger. 'And the Peterson store.' Turi's hand came around in an arc and stopped. 'Now my house.' Again Turi pointed. 'And the mine portal.'
'I fail to see the point of this,' said Rickman.
'The point is to prove that Mr Buck can read a map as well as the next man,' said Ballard pleasantly. 'Mr Buck, at the meeting with the council was a map produced?'
'Yes, but not as big as this one.'
'And were you asked to point out various places on that map?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Now I want you to think very carefully. I don't want you to say anything here, because of my questioning, that was not said at the meeting with the council. Do you understand?'
'Yes.'
'Why did you attend the meeting?'
'Because Dr McGill asked me to go.'
'Do you know why he asked you to go?'
'He said I knew more about the history of Hukahoronui than anyone else he'd met.'
'You say the reaction of the council was that there had, hitherto, never been avalanches in the valley. Was that the reaction of all the councillors?'
'It was -- at first.'
'So their views changed, then. Let us find out why. Mr Buck, you are of the Maori race. Do you understand the language?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Can you give us a translation -- a free translation, if you like -- of the name, Hukahoronui?'
'Yes, sir; it means "The Great Snow Slide".'
There was a subdued murmur from behind Ballard. 'Would you point out your own house again, Mr Buck. There is a great rock between your house and the mountainside, is there not? What is the name of that rock?'
'Kamakamaru.'
'Kamakamaru,' repeated Ballard. 'Can you translate that into English?'
Bagley, Desmond - The Snow Tiger Page 7