"October of 1963," Brackman said.
"Thank you, Mr. Brackman," Willow replied. "Yes, Plaintiff's Exhibit 2 does indeed show that the copyright was in 1963. Thank you very much." He turned again to the witness chair. Arthur studied Willow's face and wished he could see through the reflecting lenses of his glasses.
"Had you met Mr. Driscoll at any time before October of 1963?"
"No, I had not."
"Had you in fact ever set eyes on him before the beginning of this trial yesterday morning?"
"No, I had not."
"Is it correct to say that you never gave a copy of your play to Mr. Driscoll?"
"That is correct. I did not."
"Did you ever submit copies of your play to Mitchell-Campbell Books?"
"I don't think so."
"Well, surely you must know, Mr. Constantine."
"I have an agent, Mr. Willow, and he takes care of such matters for me. If you want to know whether I myself sent a copy to Mitchell-Campbell, no, sir, I did not. Nor to Camelot Books, nor to Mr. Driscoll, either."
"Did you ever ask your agent to send copies of your play to any publishing house?"
"I did not."
"Before this action began, Mr. Constantine, had you ever met Mr. Chester Danton of Mitchell-Campbell Books?"
"I had not."
"Had you ever met any other person employed by Mitchell-Campbell Books?"
"No, sir."
"Had you possessed any personal knowledge of James Driscoll's writing habits or procedure?"
"No personal knowledge, no."
"Had you possessed any personal knowledge of the editorial work done on The Paper Dragon?"
"No."
"Had you possessed any knowledge whatever of the author-editor relationship between James Driscoll and Chester Danton?"
"No knowledge whatever." *
"Are you aware of the complaint in this action?"
"I am," Arthur said, and glanced quickly at Brackman.
"Is it based upon information you supplied to your attorneys?"
"Yes."
"Did you read the complaint after it was drawn?"
"I did."
"Did you swear to its truth?"
"I did."
Willow walked to the defense table. His assistant handed him a document, and he carried it back with him to the witness chair. "This is from paragraph 12 of your complaint, Mr. Constantine." He adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose, flipped through the document — which Arthur now recognized — and began reading: " 'On information and belief, James Driscoll and Mitchell-Campbell Books conspired to deprive plaintiff of his rights in the copyrighted composition.' " Willow looked up from the document. "Did you swear to that statement, Mr. Constantine?"
"I did."
"Did you then possess any knowledge or information concerning a conspiracy to plagiarize your work?"
"Oh, I see," Arthur said.
"Yes, what do you see?"
"Mr. Willow, I can only repeat what I said at the pretrial examination. I do not know how the plagiarism was effected, I do not know of any confidential meetings, or secret correspondence, I did not wiretap anyone's telephone. But I do know that there are similarities between my play and The Paper Dragon that far exceed the possibility of…"
"Please answer the question," Willow said. "Did you in fact possess any knowledge or information of such a conspiracy?"
"I had no such knowledge or information, no, sir."
"You have testified that you swore to the truth of your complaint."
"Yes."
"Did you swear to the truth of a similar complaint against API?"
"Yes, but…"
"Even though you then possessed no knowledge or…"
"… these complaints are only legal terminology for…"
"… information as to its truth. Thank you. Mr. Constantine, can you tell me if any other play of yours was ever produced? In addition to The Catchpole, I mean."
"It's Catchpole, not 'The' Catchpole. I think I pointed that out to you before."
"Yes, Catchpole, forgive me."
"The code name for the invasion of Eniwetok Atoll was 'Operation Catchpole.' That's where I got the title."
"Isn't there another meaning of the word 'catchpole'?" Willow asked conversationally.
"Not that I know of. I believe it was coined for military purposes, a coined word."
"I think there's another meaning, Mr. Constantine."
"I wouldn't know it."
"It's archaic, of course," Willow said, "but a catchpole was a petty officer of justice, especially a man who made arrests for debt."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"I didn't know that."
"You were not aware of this other meaning when you wrote your play?"
"No."
"In any case, I will try to remember the correct title from now on. Catchpole."
"I'd appreciate it."
"Have you had any other plays produced?"
"I have a play in production now," Arthur said.
"Do you mean you have a play in rehearsal?"
"No, we're not in rehearsal yet. We're still casting it."
"When do you plan to open?"
"We haven't set a date as yet."
"In what theater will you open, Mr. Constantine?"
"That hasn't been decided yet."
"Has the play been fully capitalized?"
Arthur hesitated.
"Mr. Constantine? Has the play..?"
"Not yet."
"Then this 'play in production,' as you refer to it, is really in a very early stage of production, isn't that so?"
"That's so, yes."
"In fact, we might say that until it is capitalized…"
"The play is under option," Arthur said. "It's our intention to produce it as soon as possible."
"Your intention, yes."
"Yes."
"But in fact, you have not had a play actually produced, actually presented since The Catchpole, forgive me, Catchpole. I'll try to remember."
"I've had movies and television plays produced."
"Yes, but not a stage play."
"No. Not until this play, which is in production now."
"Which is 'under option' now, isn't that what you mean?"
"No, I mean 'in production' now. We are actively casting it."
"But we may say, may we not, that since October of 1947, which is when Catchpole was produced — a period of more than nineteen years — you have not had a play produced on Broadway or off-Broadway or, in fact, anywhere in the world. Isn't that true?"
"That's true."
"Thank you. Mr. Constantine, you testified that you were sent to the Pacific as a new lieutenant, a second lieutenant I believe you said, after a short period of training as an officer."
"I did not say that."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I said that Roger Mason, my character in Catchpole, was sent overseas after a short period of training."
"Would you say that your character bears any resemblance to you?"
"Some."
"Were you also sent overseas after a short period of training?"
"I was."
"Do you feel this experience was unique?"
"Unique?"
"Yes, sir, unique. You know the meaning of the word 'unique.' "
"Yes, but I don't understand the question."
"I am asking you, Mr. Constantine, if during World War II, during the period of time before and during the Eniwetok landings, I am asking if it was unique to send an officer overseas after only a short period of training?"