"As part of your job, are you called upon to pass literary judgment on manuscripts submitted to the company?"
"I am."
"Mr. Danton, have you in this past week read the play Catchpole?"
"I have read it, yes."
"Mr. Willow," Brackman said, "I haven't objected until now to these leading questions — but I can't remain silent when you first supply your witness with a date, and only afterwards ask him if he read the play."
"Forgive me," Jonah said. "Have you read the play Catchpole, Mr. Danton?"
"I have."
"When did you first read it?"
"I read it last week. Last Tuesday night."
"Where did you obtain a copy of the play?"
"You gave it to me."
"Did I ask you to read it?"
"You did."
"Do you have any editorial opinion on it?"
"Objection. Mr. Danton's opinion of the play is immaterial."
"Your Honor," Jonah said, "the testimony of an expert on such matters, a man who has been an editor for more than twenty years, would certainly seem relevant to me. As with my earlier offer, I am merely attempting to ascertain whether or not anyone would want to steal this play."
"Your Honor…"
"Please," McIntyre said. "What earlier offer do you mean, Mr. Willow? The newspaper reviews of Catchpole?"
"If your Honor please."
"Mr. Brackman?"
"The quality of this play does not go to the question of plagiarism, your Honor. On Monday, Mr. Willow remarked that many well-known works have been plagiarized in the past, and he cited Abie's Irish Rose as a prime example. I'm sure his reversal of the facts was inadvertent, but nevertheless the plagiarism was charged against Abie's Irish Rose, which was purported to have been stolen from an unknown property. Point of fact, I think we all must realize that no one in his right mind would try to steal from a famous book or play — unless he was intent on being exposed and brought to justice. Moreover, with all due respect to Mr. Danton's abilities, I hardly think he is the man to pass judgment on Mr. Constantine's play."
"If he has a qualified editorial opinion…"
"I do not see where his opinion, qualified or otherwise—"
"I will exclude it, Mr. Willow," McIntyre said.
"In that case, your Honor, I have no further questions."
"Very well."
Brackman rose from behind his table, consulted a list of notes he had made, put the notes on the table again, and walked slowly toward the witness chair.
"We know each other, don't we, Mr. Danton?" he asked conversationally.
"We met at the pretrial examination, yes."
"How are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you."
Brackman nodded, and smiled. "Mr. Danton," he said, "I'd like to go over these editorial changes you just told us about. Would that be all right with you?"
"Yes, certainly."
"To begin with, you suggested the title The Paper Dragon, is that right?"
"Not to begin with. That came much later."
"I didn't mean chronologically, Mr. Danton."
"What did you mean?"
"Was it or was it not one of your editorial suggestions?"
"It was."
"And another of your suggestions was that the squad be provided with a stronger motivation for its dislike of Lieutenant Cooper?"
"I suggested that a major—"
"Please answer the question."
"Yes, that was another of my suggestions."
"And yet another concerned the use of profanity in the officer's mess scene?"
"Correct."
"And the deletion of flashbacks showing the civilian background of Private Colman?"
"Yes."
"You also suggested that a final chapter be written…"
"Yes."
"… between Lieutenant Cooper and the nurse Jan Reardon."
"No. Not between—"
"I quote from your own Exhibit I, where Miss Lang said, 'Don't you feel we need another scene between Coop and the nurse. ' "
"Yes, but—"
" '… to show how the squad's pressure on him is beginning—' "
"Yes, but that was not a suggestion for the final chapter. That was earlier on in the book, a scene set in the hospital."
"But you agreed with her comment?"
"Yes, I did."
"And suggested the change to Mr. Driscoll?"
"Yes. As well as suggesting a better last chapter."
"These were two separate changes, is that it?"
"Yes, I thought I'd made that clear."
"It's clear now, thank you. Do you consider these changes important?"
"Which changes?"
"All of them."
"They were important to the full realization of Mr. Driscoll's book, yes."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The book was potentially excellent. I believe the changes helped Mr. Driscoll to realize that potential. Yes, the changes were important."
"During your pretrial examination, Mr. Danton, you mentioned only two editorial suggestions which you considered important: the change of title and the profanity. You weren't trying to mislead me, were you?"
"I certainly was not!"
"You just didn't remember these three or four other suggestions, is that it?"
"Yes, of course that's…"
"Which you now consider as important as the others? Important to the full realization of Mr. Driscoll's book?"
"I've had a chance to reread The Paper Dragon since then, and to remember…"
"Yes, but at the pretrial, you did not recall these other suggestions when we asked you about them, did you?"
"No, not at the time."
"Your Honor," Jonah said, rising, "I do not see…"
"He is examining the witness as to credibility, Mr. Willow, and I will allow it," McIntyre said.
"I call your attention now to the following question in your pretrial examination: 'Mr. Danton, would you say that the editing—' "
"Excuse me, Mr. Brackman," Jonah said.
"This is page 21," Brackman said over his shoulder.
"Thank you."
"And the question was, 'Mr. Danton, would you say that the editing of a book is a process of offering the suggestions and opinions of others to an author for possible assimilation into the work?' and your answer was, 'Basically, yes.' And further down on that same page, Mr. Danton, you were asked, 'Did suggestions concerning The Paper Dragon originate entirely with you?' and your answer was, 'No, some of the suggestions originated elsewhere in the company.' I ask you now, Mr. Danton, where else in the company these suggestions originated?"
"They came from Miss Anita Lang, as I testified earlier."
"You also testified earlier, Mr. Danton, that — and I quote — 'the editor-author relationship was solely between Mr. Driscoll and me.' Do you recall that?"
"I said it was between Jimmy and me except for the memorandums…"
"Solely between Mr. Driscoll and yourself."
"I also mentioned the memorandums," Danton said.
"Your Honor," Jonah said, rising, "I believe Mr. Brackman is attempting to fuse two separate answers…"
"I repeat his answer," Brackman said. " 'The editor-author relationship was solely between—' "
"Yes, the personal relationship," Jonah said.
"Was it or was it not an exclusive relationship?"
"Should I answer that?" Danton asked.
"Please," McIntyre said.
"It was the only personal relationship."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean that I was the only editor at Mitchell-Campbell who transmitted suggestions for change to Mr. Driscoll."
"Including suggestions for change that might have originated elsewhere?"