30a. Torture (Cortin's point of view)
Cortin was conducting the first part of her preliminary examination when Odeon interrupted. "Someone in the observation room, Excellency."
She turned that way. "Colonel Bradford?"
"Yes," Bradford replied over the intercom, "with Ranger Medart and Lt. DarElwyn."
"If you'd care to, you're welcome to join me in here." Normally, she wouldn't permit anyone except Mike or another Inquisitor to be in the same room while she was working, but these were unusual guests. And there was something particularly appealing about the Sandeman …
"The interview went all right?" she asked, as soon as the three entered.
"Quite well," Bradford replied. "I'll get the operation moving as soon as I get back to my office."
"Good—thanks, both of you." Cortin turned back to her prisoner, still addressing the observers—primarily, for some reason she didn't understand, Keith. "This one's nothing special, except in the number of his crimes and the fact that he wanted witnesses until he got to the last victim in each series. It was the rapes that were his particular thrill; the murders were enjoyable, but more of a side effect. So I'll be concentrating on the punishment for rape."
She continued with the preliminaries, both enjoying herself and trying to evaluate the Sandeman as well as she could when her primary attention had to be elsewhere. He, unlike Odeon and Medart, seemed to have a true appreciation of her intent, which she wouldn't have expected—but which she found highly gratifying. It was several hours before she was satisfied with the prisoner's general condition: his entire body except the genital region so bruised or abraded that even a light touch brough curses.
She stepped back to survey him, then smiled at her audience. "That takes care of the preliminaries; now we can get to the real punishment." She went to a cabinet, removed a vial and syringe.