The Battle over Memory and Testimony

The legal conflict over what can be proven, remembered, and sworn about the Titan.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Affidavit

The Affidavit The Moment Captain Bryce signs a sworn statement saying the voyage was uneventful until the wreck. Mr. Meyer reads it and sees the first crack in the cover-up. Why It Matters The affidavit is an official lie, but it is the foundation of the insurance case. Everything will depend on disproving it. This is the first overt legal battle in the fight over memory.

Austen's Turnaround

Austen's Turnaround The Moment Mr. Austen, desperate, says that Rowland was sober and competent on lookout at the time of the wreck. He contradicts his own earlier statement that Rowland was in delirium tremens. Why It Matters The first officer's changeable testimony destroys the officers' credibility. No one can trust a man who swears both sides of a question. It also saves Rowland from the charge of drunkenness in a court of law.

Barry's Convenient Forgetfulness

Barry's Convenient Forgetfulness The Moment Captain Barry is asked to swear about what he heard in Meyer's office. He says, "I don't remember what was said, anyhow; got a blamed bad memory." Why It Matters Barry's selective memory is a shield for Rowland. He refuses to be used as a weapon to ruin the child's fortune. This is testimony as moral action rather than legal evidence.

The Attorney's Notes

The Attorney's Notes The Moment While Rowland tells the story of the drugging and the wreck, Mr. Thompson draws up a chair and takes notes. He captures Bryce's slip about Indian hemp. Why It Matters The attorney's notes turn speech into legal evidence. They will be the basis of Meyer's claim that the insurance is void. This is the moment when the oral story hardens into a document that can ruin officers.

The Disappearing Crew

The Disappearing Crew The Moment The underwriters hunt for witnesses among the Titan's crew, but within a week every surviving member of the port watch has signed on for Cape voyages or otherwise vanished. Why It Matters The disappearance of the crew means that Rowland and Barry remain the only reliable witnesses. Meyer is forced to rely on Rowland, who will not testify. The battle over memory ends in an impasse that money cannot break.

weeks before Rowland reaches London

during the Lloyds confrontation

in Mr. Meyer's office, after the confrontation

during Rowland's recital

the week after the underwriters' conference