Meeus lay still as death, staring at his executioner with a face expressionless and white as the plaster flakes around him.
“Get up,” said Adams.
Meeus heard and moved his arms.
“Get up.”
Again the arms moved and the body raised itself, but the legs did not move. “I cannot,” said Meeus.
Adams came to him and bending down pinched his right thigh hard.
“Do you feel me touching you?”
“No.”
Adams did the same to the other thigh.
“Do you feel that?”