Von Reiter nodded.

"We request only that I be allowed to assign an officer to observe all details of the case, so that he may report the outcome to my superiors in Berlin. And, of course, should a firing squad be necessitated, we would provide the men. You Americans, surely, would be present at any execution, though-" "A what? "Tommy blurted.

"You're joking, sir."

No one" of course, was joking, a fact he understood instantly.

He took a deep breath. His head seemed to spin dizzily, and he struggled to keep control. He detected that his voice had risen when he asked, "But what do you want from me, sir?" He directed the question to Colonel MacNamara.

"We would like you to represent the accused, lieutenant."

"Me, sir? But I'm not-" "You have the legal knowledge. Your bunk is filled with texts on the law, surely there's something there about military justice. And your task is relatively simple. You need merely to make certain that Lieutenant Scott's military and constitutional rights are protected while justice is done."

"But, sir-" Major Clark snapped his interruption sharply: "Look, Hart.

It's an open-and-shut case. We have evidence. We have witnesses. We have motive. We have opportunity. We have well-documented hatred. And we damn well don't want a riot on our hands when the rest of the camp finds out that a damn nig…" he started, then stopped, paused, and rephrased his sentence "… when the camp finds out Lieutenant Scott killed an extremely popular, well-known, and highly respected, decorated, and dedicated officer. And killed him in a brutal, savage fashion. We will not have a lynching, lieutenant.

Not while we are in command. The Germans want to avoid this, as well.

Hence, due process. Of which you are to be an important part. Someone needs to make a show of defending Scott. And that, lieutenant, is an order. From me, from Colonel MacNamara, and from Oberst Von Reiter, as well."

Tommy Hart inhaled deeply.

"Yes sir," he said.

"I understand."

"Good."

Major Clark nodded.

"I will personally handle the prosecution of the case. I would think a week, ten days from now, we can schedule our tribunal. Best to get this over with quickly, commandant."

Von Reiter nodded.

"Yes," the German said, "we should move with diligence. To hurry might be unseemly. But lengthy delay would create as many problems. Let us move with all due speed."

Colonel MacNamara turned to the commandant.

"I will have the names of the officers selected for the court-martial tribunal in your hands by this afternoon."

"Excellent."

"And," the colonel continued, "I think we can safely conclude business by the end of the month. Early June at the latest."

"That, too, would be acceptable. I have already summoned a man whom I will designate as the liaison officer between your proceedings and the

Luftwaffe. Hauptmann Visser is enroute. He will be here within the hour…"

"Excuse me, colonel," Tommy said quietly.

MacNamara pivoted in his direction.

"Yes, lieutenant?

What is it?"

"Well, sir," Tommy spoke with some hesitation, "I understand the need for tying this up rapidly, but I have a few requests, sir. If that's okay…"

"What is it. Hart?" Clark spoke briskly.

"Well, I need to know precisely what this 'evidence' you have consists of, sir. And the names of any witnesses. I don't mean any disrespect, major, but I also need to personally inspect the murder scene. I may also need someone to help me prepare a defense. Even for an open-and-shut case."

"Someone to help? Whatever for?"

"Someone to share the burden. This would be traditional, sir, in any capital case."

Clark frowned.

"Perhaps back in the States. I'm not sure that's totally necessary given our circumstances here at Stalag Luft Thirteen. Who do you have in mind, lieutenant?"

Tommy took another deep breath.

"That would be Flying Officer Hugh Renaday of the R.A.F. He's in the North Compound."

Clark instantly shook his head.

"I don't think involving the British is a good idea. This is our dirty laundry and it's best we wash it by ourselves. Out of the question…"

But Von Reiter let a small grin slip across his face.

"Herr major," the commandant said, "I think it wise that Lieutenant Hart be given every possible accommodation in the difficult and delicate task that he has been assigned. This way any impropriety will be avoided clearly. His request for assistance is not unreasonable, no? Flying Officer Renaday, lieutenant, he has some experience in matters of this sort?"

Tommy nodded.

"Yes sir."

Von Reiter nodded in return.

"Then I think perhaps he is an excellent suggestion. And, Colonel MacNamara, his assistance will not mean that another of your officers will have to be compromised by this unfortunate incident and its inevitable outcome."

Tommy thought this an interesting statement, but kept quiet.

The SAO narrowed his gaze at the German, taking his time to assess what the commandant had said.

"You are correct, Herr Oberst. This makes perfectly good sense. And having a Brit involved, instead of another American-" "He's a Canadian, sir."

"Canadian? All the better. Request approved, then, lieutenant."

"The crime scene, sir. I need to-" "Yes, of course. As soon as the body is removed…"

Tommy was surprised.

"The body hasn't been removed?"

"No, Hart. The Germans will detail a squad as soon as the commandant orders it."

"Then I want to see it. Right now. Before anything has been disturbed. Has the scene been secured?"

Von Reiter, still with the faintest of smiles on his lips, nodded.

"It has not been disturbed since the unfortunate discovery of Captain Bedford's remains, lieutenant. I can assure you of that. Other than myself, and your two superior officers, no one has examined the location. Except, perhaps, the accused."

He continued to smile.

"I must hasten to inform you, that your request is precisely the same as that made by Hauptmann Visser when I spoke with him early this morning."

"And the evidence. Major Clark?" Tommy asked, The major snarled, staring at Hart with distaste.

"I will compile it and make it available to you at the earliest appropriate moment."

"Thank you, sir. And I have another request, as well, sir."

"Another request? Hart, your task here is simple. Protect the accused's rights with honor. No more, no less."

"Of course, sir. But I think I need to speak with Lieutenant Scott to do that. Where is he?"

Von Reiter continued to smile, obviously taking some pleasure in the discomfort of the American officers.

"He has been escorted to the cooler, lieutenant. You may see him after you have inspected the crime scene."

"With Flying Officer Renaday, please, sir."

"As you requested."

There was a boxlike intercom on the desk in front of Von Reiter, and he reached out to it, pressing a switch. A buzzer went off in the adjoining office, a door immediately swung open, and Fritz Number One entered the room.

"Corporal, you will accompany Lieutenant Hart to the North Compound, where the two of you will find Flying Officer Hugh Renaday. Then you will escort these two men to the Abort please, where you discovered the remains of Captain Bedford, and provide whatever assistance they might need. When they have completed their inspection of the body and the area surrounding it, please take Lieutenant Hart to see the prisoner."

Fritz Number One saluted sharply.

"Ja wohl, Herr Oberst! " he blurted in German.

Tommy turned toward the two American officers. But before he could say anything else, MacNamara raised his hand to his cap brim in a slow salute.

"You are dismissed, lieutenant," he said slowly.

Phillip Pryce and Hugh Renaday were in their bunk room inside the British compound when Tommy Hart, accompanied by Fritz Number One, appeared at the door. Pryce was balancing in a stiff-backed, rough-hewn wooden chair, with his feet perched up on the top of the black steel potbellied stove in a corner of the bunk room. He had a stub of a pencil in one hand and a book of crossword puzzles in the other. Renaday was sitting a few feet away, a dog-eared Penguin paperback of Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders in his hands. They both looked up when Tommy hovered in the doorway and immediately burst into smiles.