A needle descended.
Still no answer.
"Your Cell was located in East Appalachia. Upper Quadrant. Is this true?"
No answer again.
Minutes passed, minutes in which Leslie continued to stare defiantly outward, continued to clench his fists and remain silent.
Finally the Inquisitor opened its tightly-clamped arms and let Leslie stagger out. He slumped to the ground at the feet of the robot and leaned dazedly against the Inquisitor's gleaming base.
"Prisoner is on the verge of death," the Inquisitor said. "Further questioning is pointless."
Kroll looked down in surprise and chagrin. In ten years, this was the first time a prisoner had not broken under Interrogation. He scowled angrily; it was his first failure.
"You're a stubborn man, Leslie. But it's killed you."
"I'm not dead yet," the prisoner said brokenly. Suddenly he mustered some strength and managed to look up. "Tell me something, Kroll. I want to know something."