King Diocletian
Magistrate
Juliette barely knew what was happened. Hands lifted her from the frame and when they let go she crumpled, falling to the concrete floor. She lay, too weak to move, her brain itself seeming to ache. She was aware of feeling desperately cold, of her buttocks burning, and yet at the same time there was something comforting about the concrete, about lying on it, consciousness drifting away. Somebody kicked her, hard, in the ribs. She was lifted off the ground a couple of inches, then slumped back. A voice cautioned against breaking any bones. She coughed, winded. She ached everywhere. Even breathing hurt. Hands pulled her to her feet. Her head fell forwards. She could see her breasts and her feet and a patch of concrete, framed by her hair as it fell over her face. Nothing quite felt real. Her body seemed tremendously heavy. Her head was yanked back by the hair and she saw her torturer’s face, although she couldn’t focus on it. She felt his hands on her breasts, first stroking them and then gently slapping them. She knew she should feel revolted but she was too tired. She felt the hood being pulled over her head, her wrists being cuffed and the next she knew she was lying on the floor of her cell.
She was still naked, but they’d draped her shirt over her. Had she been asleep? She had no idea. She pulled the shirt on, stiffly. Her head ached dreadfully. It took an age to force her fingers to button the shirt. Her buttocks were sore, her ribs ached, the burn at the base of her spine was a constant pain. What more could they do to her? She was shaking and she still felt exhausted. She stood, slowly. Her body was agonisingly stiff. She felt the pain in her vagina where the steel wool had grazed her tenderest parts. She began to cry. She stretched, then lay down again. A disturbed sleep soon overwhelmed her again.
*
Garcia looked at Diaz. “What do you want?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“She’s done. There’s nothing else. We can check some details, maybe make her confess some crimes, but basically she’s finished. She’s given up what she knows.”
Diaz nodded. Garcia was irritated by him. These politicians were all the same. They never took responsibility. Maybe they could squeeze her for more. “What do you want me to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“We can keep torturing her. If you want her to suffer, we can keep going. Or we can give her medical attention and get her ready for trial. Or we can have her commit suicide if that’s easier.”
Diaz looked blank. “Or maybe you’d like some time with her alone?” Garcia said spitefully.
*
Juliette had lost all sense of time. All she knew was that she had the hood back on and was being dragged down a corridor again. She’d given up her efforts to work out the layout of the building. She just wanted it to be over. A door opened, and she realised to her horror she was back in the torture chamber. The hood came off, and she saw the bath being filled, saw the bench lying empty, the straps hanging down, the trolley and the picana standing by. Her legs felt suddenly weak. She turned away, as though there might somehow be an escape, but the soldiers were there.
“Strip,” the main torturer said, unemotionally. She turned back and saw the three of them standing alongside Diaz and the doctor.
“What else do you want?” she said, but she’d broken down into tears before the end of the question. She had nothing left.
“Strip,” he said again, but she fell, her legs giving way. She couldn’t bear any more. At first there’d been a heroism in resistance, in denying them knowledge, but now she had no more knowledge to give. The soldiers seized her arms and pulled her to her feet. The torturer walked up to her. “When I give you an order,” he hissed, “you obey. Or do you want more time in the punishment room?”
What was the difference? It was all pain. But Juliette was too exhausted to follow through the logic. Her fingers went reluctantly to the buttons of her shirt and she undressed, letting the shirt fall slowly from her shoulders. They wrenched her arms back and cuffed her wrists. He slapped her, hard, on the outside of her left breast, then on the outside of her right. He gave a thin smile and then repeated the action. “Your tits are marvellous,” he said, then gestured with his head towards the bath. Juliette resisted, but it was pointless. Four soldiers simply picked her up and dropped her in.
She was still naked, but they’d draped her shirt over her. Had she been asleep? She had no idea. She pulled the shirt on, stiffly. Her head ached dreadfully. It took an age to force her fingers to button the shirt. Her buttocks were sore, her ribs ached, the burn at the base of her spine was a constant pain. What more could they do to her? She was shaking and she still felt exhausted. She stood, slowly. Her body was agonisingly stiff. She felt the pain in her vagina where the steel wool had grazed her tenderest parts. She began to cry. She stretched, then lay down again. A disturbed sleep soon overwhelmed her again.
*
Garcia looked at Diaz. “What do you want?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“She’s done. There’s nothing else. We can check some details, maybe make her confess some crimes, but basically she’s finished. She’s given up what she knows.”
Diaz nodded. Garcia was irritated by him. These politicians were all the same. They never took responsibility. Maybe they could squeeze her for more. “What do you want me to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“We can keep torturing her. If you want her to suffer, we can keep going. Or we can give her medical attention and get her ready for trial. Or we can have her commit suicide if that’s easier.”
Diaz looked blank. “Or maybe you’d like some time with her alone?” Garcia said spitefully.
*
Juliette had lost all sense of time. All she knew was that she had the hood back on and was being dragged down a corridor again. She’d given up her efforts to work out the layout of the building. She just wanted it to be over. A door opened, and she realised to her horror she was back in the torture chamber. The hood came off, and she saw the bath being filled, saw the bench lying empty, the straps hanging down, the trolley and the picana standing by. Her legs felt suddenly weak. She turned away, as though there might somehow be an escape, but the soldiers were there.
“Strip,” the main torturer said, unemotionally. She turned back and saw the three of them standing alongside Diaz and the doctor.
“What else do you want?” she said, but she’d broken down into tears before the end of the question. She had nothing left.
“Strip,” he said again, but she fell, her legs giving way. She couldn’t bear any more. At first there’d been a heroism in resistance, in denying them knowledge, but now she had no more knowledge to give. The soldiers seized her arms and pulled her to her feet. The torturer walked up to her. “When I give you an order,” he hissed, “you obey. Or do you want more time in the punishment room?”
What was the difference? It was all pain. But Juliette was too exhausted to follow through the logic. Her fingers went reluctantly to the buttons of her shirt and she undressed, letting the shirt fall slowly from her shoulders. They wrenched her arms back and cuffed her wrists. He slapped her, hard, on the outside of her left breast, then on the outside of her right. He gave a thin smile and then repeated the action. “Your tits are marvellous,” he said, then gestured with his head towards the bath. Juliette resisted, but it was pointless. Four soldiers simply picked her up and dropped her in.