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〃You did not； therefore； see my client fire his pistol； nor throw a hand grenade？〃
Cute； Ryan thought； surprised that he'd try this ploy。 Well； he has to try something； doesn't he？ 〃No； sir。 When I first saw him； he was running around the corner of the car； from the direction of the other man； the one who was killed the one with the rifle。 A moment later he was at the right…rear corner of the Rolls； facing away from me； with the pistol in his right hand； pointed forward and down； as if 〃
〃Assumption on your part；〃 Atkinson interrupted。 〃As if what？ It could have been any one of several things。 But what things？ How could you tell what he was doing there？ You did not see him get out of the car； which later drove off。 For all you know he might have been another pedestrian racing to the rescue； just as you did； mightn't he？〃
Jack was supposed to be surprised by this。
〃Assumption； sir？ No； I'd call it a judgment。 For him to have been racing to the rescue as you suggest； he would have had to e from across the street。 I doubt that anyone could have reacted anywhere near fast enough to do that at all； not to mention the fact that there was a guy there with a machine gun to make you think twice about it。 Also； the direction I saw him running from was directly away from the guy with the AK…47。 If he was running to the rescue； why away from him？ If he had a gun； why not shoot him？ At the time I never considered this possibility； and it seems pretty unlikely now； sir。〃
〃Again； a conclusion。 Sir John；〃 Atkinson said as though to a backward child。
〃Sir； you asked me a question； and I tried to answer it； with the reasons to back up my answer。〃
〃And you expect us to believe that all this flashed through your mind in a brief span of seconds？〃 Atkinson turned back to the jury。
〃Yes； sir； it did；〃 Ryan said with conviction。 〃That's all I can say it did。〃
〃I don't suppose you've been told that my client has never been arrested； or accused of any crime？〃
〃I guess that makes him a first offender。〃
〃It's for the jury to decide that；〃 the lawyer snapped back。 〃You did not see him fire a single shot； did you？〃
〃No； sir； but his automatic had an eight…shot clip； and there were only three rounds in it。 When I fired my third shot； it was empty。〃
〃So what？ For all you know someone else could have fired that gun。 You did not see him fire； did you？〃
〃No； sir。〃
〃So it might have been dropped by someone in the car。 My client might have picked it up and； I repeat； been doing the same thing you were doing this could all be true； but you have no way of knowing this； do you？〃
〃I cannot testify about things I didn't see； sir。 However； I did see the street； the traffic； and the other pedestrians。 If your client did what you say； where did he e from？〃
〃Precisely you don't know； do you？〃 Atkinson said sharply。
〃When I saw your client； sir； he was ing from the direction of the stopped car。〃 Jack gestured to the model on the evidence table。 〃For him to have e off the sidewalk； then gotten the gun； and then appeared where I saw him there's just no way unless he's an Olympic…class sprinter。〃
〃Well； we'll never know； will we you fixed that。 You reacted precipitously； didn't you？ You reacted as you were trained to by the U。S。 Marines； never stopping to assess the situation。 You raced into the fray quite recklessly； attacked my client and knocked him unconscious； then tried to kill him。〃
〃No； sir； I did not try to kill your client。 I've already 〃
〃Then why did you shoot an unconscious； helpless man？〃
〃My Lord；〃 prosecutor Richards said； standing up； 〃we have already asked that question。〃
〃The witness may answer on further reflection；〃 Justice Wheeler intoned No one would say that this trial was unfair。
〃Sir； I did not know he was unconscious； and I didn't know how long it would be before he got up。 So； I shot to disable him。 I just didn't want him to get back up for a while。〃
〃I'm sure that's what they said at My Lai。〃
〃That wasn't the Marines； Mr。 Atkinson；〃 Ryan shot back。
The lawyer smiled up at Jack。 〃I suppose your chaps were better trained at keeping quiet。 Indeed； perhaps you yourself have been trained in such things 。 。 。 〃
〃No； sir； I have not。〃 He's making you angry； Jack。 He took his handkerchief out and blew his nose again。 The two deep breaths helped。 〃Excuse me。 I'm afraid the local weather has given me a 〃bit of a head cold。 What you just said if the Marines trained people in that sort of stuff； the newspapers would have plastered it on their front pages years ago。 No； moral issues aside for the moment； the Corps has a much better sense of public relations than that； Mr。 Atkinson。〃
〃Indeed。〃 The barrister shrugged。 〃And what about the Central Intelligence Agency？〃
〃Excuse me？〃
〃What of the press reports that you've worked for the CIA？〃
〃Sir； the only times I've been paid by the U。S。 government；〃 Jack said； choosing his words very carefully； 〃the money came from the Navy Department； first as a Marine； then later now； that is； as an instructor at the United States Naval Academy。 I have never been employed by any other government agency； period。〃
〃So you are not an agent of the CIA？ I remind you that you are under oath。〃
〃No； sir。 I am not now； and I never have been any kind of agent unless you count being a stockbroker。 I don't work for the CIA。〃
〃And these news reports？〃
〃I'm afraid that you'll have to ask the reporters。 I don't know where that stuff es from。 I teach history。 My office is in Leahy Hall on the Naval Academy grounds。 That's kind of a long way from Langley。〃
〃Langley？ You know where CIA is； then？〃
〃Yes； sir。 It's on record that I have delivered a lecture there。 It was the same lecture I delivered the month before at the Naval War College at Newport； Rhode Island。 My paper dealt with the nature of tactical decision…making。 I have never worked for the Central Intelligence Agency； but I did； once； give a lecture there。 Maybe that's where all these reports started。〃
〃I think you're lying； Sir John；〃 Atkinson observed。
Not quite； Charlie。 〃I can't help what you think； sir； I can only answer your questions truthfully。〃
〃And you never wrote an official report for the government entitled 'Agents and Agencies' ？〃
Ryan did not allow himself to react。 Where did you get that bit of data； Charlie？ He answered the question with great care。
〃Sir； last year that is； last summer； at the end of the last school year I was asked to be a contract consultant to a private pany that does government work。 The pany is the Mitre Corporation； and I was hired on a temporary basis as part of one of their consulting contracts with the U。S。 government。 The work involved was classified； but it obviously had nothing at all to do with this case。〃
〃Obviously？ Why don't you let the jury decide that？〃
〃Mr。 Atkinson；〃 Justice Wheeler said tiredly； 〃are you suggesting that this work in which the witness was involved has a direct connection with the case before the court？〃
〃I think we might wish to establish that； My Lord。 It is my belief that the witness is misleading the court。〃
〃Very well。〃 The judge turned。 〃Doctor Ryan； did this work in which you were engaged have anything whatever to do with a case of murder in the city of London； or with any of the persons involved in this case？〃
〃No； sir。〃
〃You are quite certain？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Are you now or have you ever been an employee of any intelligence or security agency of the American government？〃
〃Except for the Marine Corps； no； sir。〃
〃I remind you of your oath to tell the truth the whole； plete truth。 Have you misled the court in any way； Doctor Ryan？〃
〃No； sir； absolutely not。〃
〃Thank you； Doctor Ryan。 I believe that question is now settled。〃 Mr。 Justice Wheeler turned back to his right。 〃Next question； Mr。 Atkinson。〃
The barrister had to be angry at that； Ryan thought； but he didn't let it show。 He wondered if someone had briefed the judge。
〃You say that you shot my client merely in the hope that he would not get up？〃
Richards stood。 〃My Lord； the witness has already 〃
〃If His Lordship will permit me to ask the next question； the issue will be more clear；〃 Atkinson interrupted smoothly。
〃Proceed。〃
〃Doctor Ryan； you said that you shot my client in the hope that he would not get up。 Do the U。S。 Marine Corps teach one to shoot to disable； or to kill？〃
〃To kill； sir。〃
〃And you are telling us； therefore； that you went against your training？〃
〃Yes； sir。 It is pretty clear that I was not on a battlefield。 I was on a city street。 It never occurred to me to kill your client。〃 I wish it had； then I probably wouldn't be here； Ryan thought； wondering if he really meant it。
〃So you reacted in accordance with your training when you leaped into the fray on The Mall； but then you disregarded your training a moment later？ Do you think it reasonable that all of us here will believe that？〃
Atkinson had finally succeeded in confusing Ryan。 Jack had not the slightest idea where this was leading。