Present at the meeting were Mr Ballard; Mr Dobbs, the mine manager; Mr Cameron, the mine engineer; Mr Quentin, the union representative.
And you were present during the whole of that meeting?
Yes, sir.
Then I think we can take your evidence as best evidence of what occurred at the meeting, subject to later appraisal. However, the time has come to adjourn for today. We will gather here at ten in the morning when you, Dr McGill, will again be a witness. The hearing is adjourned.
SIX
The participants of the hearing flooded on to the pavement of Armagh Street and began to disperse. Dan Edwards, heading rapidly beerwards, stopped when Dalwood said, Who is the tall redhead talking to Ballard? The girl with the dog.
Edwards craned his neck. Good God! Now what the hell goes on there?
Who is she?
Liz Peterson, the sister of Charlie and Eric.
Dalwood watched Ballard pat the Alsatian and smile at the girl warmly. They seem on good terms.
Yes bloody funny, isnt it? Charlie has got his knife so deep into Ballard that hes in blood up to his armpit. I wonder if he knows Liz is fraternizing with the enemy?
Well soon know, said Dalwood. Here come Charlie and Eric now.
The two men came out of the building, unsmiling and exchanging monosyllables. Charlie looked up and his face became thunderous. He snapped something at his brother and quickened his pace, elbowing his way through the crowd on the pavement. At that moment a car drew up and Ballard got into it and when Charlie reached his sister Ballard had gone. Charlie spoke to his sister and an argument seemed to develop.
Edwards watched the by-play, and said, If he didnt know he does now. Whats more, he doesnt like it.
And the dog doesnt like Charlie. Look at it.
The Alsatians upper lip was curled back in a snarl and Liz Peterson shortened her grip on the lead and spoke sharply to it.
Edwards sighed. Lets get that beer. The first one will hiss going down.
Mike McGill was driving the car. He slanted an eye at Ballard and then returned his attention to the road. Well, what do you think?
Your evidence was good. Very concise.
Rolandson helped; he fed me some good lines. He makes a good straight man to my comedian. You didnt do too well, though.
Im doing all right.
Wake up, Ian! That son of a bitch, Rickman, is going to deliver you bound and gagged if you dont stop him.
Save it, Mike, said Ballard shortly. Im too bloody tired.
McGill bit his lip and lapsed into silence. After ten minutes he swung off the road and parked in the forecourt of their hotel. Youll feel better after a cold beer, he said. It was goddam hot in that courthouse. Okay?
All right, said Ballard listlessly.
They went into the hotel bar and McGill ordered two beers and took them to a discreet table. Heres mud in your eye. He drank and gasped with pleasure. God, how I needed that! He replenished his glass. That courthouse is sure some place. Who designed it Edward the Confessor?
Its not a courthouse its a sort of provincial House of Parliament. Or it was.
McGill grinned. The bit I like about it are those pious texts set in the stained glass windows. I wonder who thought those up? In the same even tone he said, What did Liz Peterson want?
Just to wish me well.
Did she? said McGill sardonically. If she really meant it shed operate on that brother of hers with a sharp knife. He watched the condensation form on the outside of his glass. Come to think of it, a blunt knife might be better. The Peterson lawyer was really sniping at you this morning.
I know. Ballard took another draught. It seemed to do him good. It doesnt matter, Mike. You and I know the evidence is on our side.
Youre wrong, said McGill flatly. Evidence is how a lawyer puts it and talking about lawyers, what about Rickman? You know what he did to you this morning, dont you? He made it look as though you were trying to renege. Hell, everyone in that hall thought you were trying to slip the country.
Ballard rubbed his eyes. I said something to Rickman just before the hearing opened, and he got it wrong, thats all.
Thats all? Thats not all not by a thousand miles. A smart guy like that doesnt get things wrong in a courtroom. If he got it wrong then he meant to get it wrong. What did you say to him, anyway?
Ballard took out his wallet and extracted a piece of paper. I was leaving the hotel this morning when I got this. He passed it to McGill. My grandfathers dead!
McGill unfolded the cablegram and read it. Ian, Im sorry; I really am. He was silent for a moment. This Harriet is she your mother?
Yes.
She wants you to go home.
She would, said Ballard bitterly.
And you showed this to Rickman?
Yes.
And he got up on his hind legs and, by inference, demonstrated that you are a coward. Hell, Ian; hes not representing you! Hes representing the company.
Six of one and half a dozen of the other.
McGill regarded Ballard and slowly shook his head. You really believe what the Chairman of the Commission said, dont you? That all they want is to get at the truth. Well, that may be what Harrison thinks but its not what the public want. Fifty-four people died, Ian, and the public want a scapegoat. The President of your company knows
Chairman.
McGill waggled his hand. To hell with semantics. The Chairman of your company knows that, too, and hes making goddam sure the company isnt the goat. Thats why hes employed a sharp cookie like Rickman, and if you think Rickman is acting for you then youre out of your mind. If the company can get out from under by sacrificing you then thats what theyll do.
He thumped the table. I can write the scenario right now. Mr Ballard is new to the company. Mr Ballard is young and inexperienced. It is only to be expected that so young a man should make unfortunate mistakes. Surely such errors of judgment may be excused in one so inexperienced. McGill leaned back in his chair. By the time Rickman is finished with you hell have everyone believing you arranged the goddam avalanche and the Petersons and that snide lawyer of theirs will fall over themselves to help him.
Ballard smiled slightly. You have great powers of imagination, Mike.
Oh, what the hell! said McGill disgustedly. Lets have another beer.
My round. Ballard got up and went to the bar. When he came back he said, So the old boys dead. He shook his head. You know, Mike, it hit me harder than I thought it would.
McGill poured more beer. Judging by the way you talked about him, Im surprised you feel anything at all.
Oh, he was a cantankerous old devil stubborn and self-opinionated but there was something about him Ballard shook his head. I dont know.
What happens to the parent corporation whats it called?
Ballard Holdings.
Ballard Holdings.
What happens to Ballard Holdings now hes dead? Is it up for grabs?
I shouldnt think so. The old man established a trust or something like that. I never really got the hang of it because I knew I wouldnt figure in it. I imagine that things will remain pretty stable, with Uncle Bert and Uncle Steve and Uncle Ed running things pretty much as they are now. Which is to say badly.
I dont see why the shareholders put up with it.
The shareholders dont have a bloody thing to do with it. Let me tell you a fact of financial life, Mike. You dont really need fifty-one per cent of the shares of a company to control it. Thirty per cent is enough if the other shares are fragmented into small parcels and if your lawyers and accountants are smart enough. Ballard shrugged. In any case, the shareholders arent too unhappy; all the Ballard companies make profits, and the kind of people who are buying into Ballard companies these days arent the type to inquire too closely into how the profits are made.
Yeah, said McGill abstractedly. This was not really of interest to him. He leaned forward and said, Lets do some strategy planning.
What do you mean?
Ive been figuring how Harrisons mind works. Hes a very logical guy and that works in our favour. Im going to give evidence tomorrow about the meeting with the mine management. Why me?
Harrison asked if youd been present during the entire meeting and you had. He picked you because you were already on the stand and it was quicker than calling another witness. Thats what I think, anyway.
McGill looked pleased. Thats what I think, too. Harrison said hed take evidence in chronological order, and hes doing just that. Now what happened after the mine meeting?
We had the meeting with the town council.
And what will Harrison ask me?
Hell ask if you were present during the whole of that meeting and youll have to say no, because you left half way through. So?
So I want to pick the next witness, and knowing how Harrisons mind works, I think I can swing it.
Who do you want for the next witness?
Turi Buck, said McGill. I want to get on record the history of Hukahoronui just to ram things home. I want to get on record the sheer stupidity of that goddam town council.
Ballard looked broodingly into his glass. I dont like doing that to Turi. It might hurt.
He wants to do it. Hes already put himself forward as a voluntary witness. Hes staying with his sister here in Christchurch; well pick him up tomorrow morning.
All right.
Now, look, Ian. Turi is an old man and may be likely to become confused under hostile cross-examination. Weve got to make sure that the right questions are asked in the right order. Weve got to cover the ground so thoroughly that no one not Lyall nor Rickman can find a loophole.
Ill make out a list of questions for Rickman, said Ballard.
McGill rolled his eyes skyward. Cant you get it into your thick skull that if Rickman questions Turi it will be in a hostile manner.
Ballard said sharply, Rickman is representing me and hell follow my instructions.
And if he doesnt?
If he doesnt then Ill know youre right and that will free me completely. Well see. He drained his glass. I feel sticky; Im going to have a shower.
As they left the bar McGill said, About that cablegram. Youre not going back, are you?
You mean running home to Mamma? Ballard grinned. Not while Harrison is Chairman of the Commission. I doubt if even my mother could win against Harrison.
Your mother isnt Jewish, is she? asked McGill curiously.
No. Why do you ask?
Oh, its just that Jewish mothers are popularly supposed to be strong-willed. But I think that your mother could give a Jewish mother points and still win.
Its not a matter of a strong will, said Ballard soberly. Its just straightforward moral blackmail.
THE HEARING SECOND DAYSEVEN
McGill and Ballard found Turi Buck waiting outside his sisters home at nine-thirty next morning. Although it was still early the weather showed signs of becoming oppressively hot. Ballard leaned over to open the back door of the car, and said, Jump in, Turi.
Im past jumping anywhere, Ian, said Turi wryly, But Ill endeavour to accommodate myself in this seat.
Sometimes Turis phrases had an oddly old-fashioned ring about them. Ballard knew he had never been formally educated but had read a lot, and he suspected that Sir Walter Scott was responsible for some of the more courtly expressions.
Its good of you to come, Turi.
I had to come, Ian.
In the Provincial Chamber, at precisely ten oclock, Harrison tapped the top of the rostrum gently with his gavel, and said, We are now prepared to resume the inquiry into the avalanche disaster at Hukahoronui. Dr McGill was giving evidence. Will you please resume your seat?
McGill walked to the witness chair and sat down. Harrison said, Yesterday you referred to a meeting of the mine management at which you presented a report. What happened at that meeting?
McGill tugged at his ear thoughtfully. The problem was to explain the evidence and to get them to accept it. Mr Ballard had already accepted it. Mr Cameron wanted to go through the figures in detail, but he came around in the end. The others werent as convinced. It went like this
It was Cameron, the engineer, who saw the true significance of the cup crystals. Could you draw a picture of one of those, Mike?
Sure. McGill took a pencil from his pocket and made a drawing. As I said, its conical in shape like this and it has this hollow in the blunt end. Thats why its called a cup crystal.
Im not worried about the hollow. Cameron stared at the drawing. What youve sketched here is a pretty good picture of a tapered roller bearing. You say these are likely to form under that layer of hard hoar frost?
Correct.
Thats not good, said Cameron. Thats not good at all. If you get a lot of weight on top pushing downwards vertically by gravity then therell be a resultant force sideways on the slope. The whole hillside could come down on ready-made bearings.
Cameron passed the drawing to Dobbs who looked at it with Quentin, the union man, peering over his shoulder. Any of those cup things there now?
There are indications of them forming in one of the samples I took. Id say the process is well under way.
Lets have a look at your stress figures. Cameron grimaced as he began to go through the equations. Im used to working with stronger stuff than snow.
The principle is the same, said McGill.
Dobbs handed the drawing to Ballard. Are you seriously telling us that therell be an avalanche which will fall on this mine?
Not exactly, said McGill carefully. What Im saying, at this moment, is that there is a potential hazard that must be watched. I dont think there is a present danger its not going to come down in the next hour or even today. A lot depends on future events.