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breaches of duty. I here present the material to the presidium of the court with the recommendation that the accused be given the opportunity of pleading guilty to these offences all in one go, so to speak.
    Colonel Orbal
: Aha. I see. Do you plead guilty to these thirty-two offences?
    Velder
: Yes, sir.
    Colonel Orbal
: Then that’s that.
    Major von Peters
: One moment, this is quite a list of sins, I must say. Velder!
    Velder
: Yes, sir.
    Major von Peters
: The fact that you simulated a fainting fit on Saturday does not mean that you needn’t observe elementary discipline. Stand to attention.
    Velder
: Yes, sir.
    Major von Peters
: So you’ve been guilty of absence without leave seven times by just not turning up on duty. In most cases you’ve quoted various personal reasons for your behaviour.
    Velder
: Yes, sir.
    Major von Peters
: Four times, you were so drunk on duty that your fellow-soldiers were forced to lock you up so that you wouldn’t do yourself any harm, it says here.
    Velder
: Yes, sir.
    Major von Peters
: You’ve fallen asleep while on guard-duty a number of times, I see, and sat fishing during guard-duty. On eleven occasions when on guard-duty, which no doubt you remember, you’ve brought women with you into military areas and …
    Velder
: Only one, sir. I mean, it was the same woman each time.
    Major von Peters
: Don’t interrupt me, man. Are you insane? And you’ve had intimate relations with them in guard-posts and ammunition depots and various other places. On one of these occasions you were surprised by your Section Leader. You had on that occasion undressed and left your own and the woman’s clothes lying in theguard-post alongside arms, ammunition and map-holders, while you had sexual intercourse with each other on the beach three hundred yards away.
    Colonel Orbal
: I say, I haven’t read all that. Hand over those papers.
    Major von Peters
: On this occasion you seem to have excused yourself by saying it was a warm night and you felt like a bathe.
    Velder
: Yes, sir, that’s correct.
    Major von Peters
: We have been given an admittedly confused answer, but at least an answer to the question of how it came about that Velder became a soldier. But can anyone tell me why the hell this man wasn’t executed there and then? Or at least dismissed the service?
    Captain Schmidt
: To enlighten you on that matter, and on a number of other relevant questions, I request to be allowed to call a witness.
    Major von Peters
: Who?
    Captain Schmidt
: A person called Roth, who was the accused’s leader in the militia during the first thirteen months after the liberation.
    Major von Peters
: Have this witness called, Mateo.
    Colonel Orbal
: What? What did you say? What’s this all about?
    Colonel Pigafetta
: A witness, who is to be summoned.
    Colonel Orbal
: Oh, yes, of course. Call him in.
    Lieutenant Brown
: Mr Roth, you are now to bear witness. Do you swear by Almighty God to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
    Roth
: I do.
    Lieutenant Brown
: I should remind you that this is a court martial and perjury is a punishable offence.
    Roth
: Hullo, Velder. It’s been a long time, indeed it has. Hardly recognised you.
    Major von Peters
: No fraternising with the accused, please.
    Captain Schmidt
: You’re no longer in military service, are you?
    Roth
: No, I left the militia after thirteen months, when the danger was over, so to speak, and became a farmer again, just as I was before. I had a farm quite near here, fourteen miles west ofOswaldsburg, and still have. Great big place. Now of course, it’s mostly army supplies.
    Major von Peters
: Is there anything wrong with army supplies?
    Roth
: Well—wrong—you know—as things are, one can’t grumble.
    Captain Schmidt
: How did it come about that you became Section Leader in the militia?
    Roth
: Group Leader it was called. Now did that come about? Well, someone has to do these things, don’t they? I was an experienced hunter and