Lapworth. "The witness will answer the
question."

I repeated the question.

"Yes," Thompson said in a low voice.

"More than once?"

"Only once."

"Only once. You did find one device which didn't operate in any fashion
you can explain. Is that right?"

"That's right."

"Can you tell me what this device was?"

Thompson took a deep breath. "It was People's Exhibit A--the device
taken from the defendant at the time of his arrest."

There was a buzz in the courtroom.

"No more questions," I said, turning away. Then, before Thompson could
leave the stand, I turned back to him. "Oh, just one moment, Mr.
Thompson. Did you examine this device carefully? Did you take it apart?"

"I opened it and looked at it."

"You just looked at it? You didn't subject it to any tests?"

Thompson took a deep breath. "No."

"Why not?"

"There wasn't anything inside it to test."

* * * * *

This time, there was more than just a buzz around the courtroom. Judge
Lapworth rapped for order.

When the room was quiet, I said: "The box was empty, then?"

"Well, no. Not exactly empty. It had some stuff in it."

I turned to the judge. "If the Court please, I would like to have the
so-called device, Exhibit A, opened so that the members of the jury may
see for themselves what it contains."

[Illustration]

Judge Lapworth said: "The Court would like very much to see the internal
workings of this device, too. Bailiff, if you will, please."

The bailiff handed him the gadget from the exhibit table.

"How does it open?" asked the judge. He turned to Thompson. "Will the
witness please open the box?"

Reluctantly, Thompson thumbed the catch and slid off the top.

The judge took it from him, looked inside, and stared for a long moment.

I had already seen the insides. It was painted white, and there were
inked lines running all over the inside, and various pictures--a ball, a
pair of dice, a roulette wheel--and some other symbols that I didn't
pretend to understand.

Otherwise, the box was empty.

After a moment, Judge Lapworth looked up from the box and stared at
Thursby. Then he looked at Thompson. "Just what tests _did_ you perform
on this ... this thing, Mr. Thompson?"

"Well, Your Honor," Thompson said, visibly nervous, "I checked it for
all kinds of radiation and magnetism. There isn't anything like that
coming from it. But," he added lamely, "there wasn't much else to test.
Not witho