lic, the general attitude toward the Imperials became more
favorable; for most people, anything the Brotherhood wanted to destroy
must have its good points.

Return to main storyline: 29. Arrival

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.

"This is eroticine," she said, forcing the liquid in the vial down her
prisoner's throat. "In small doses, it's a male aphrodisiac. In
larger ones, like this, it forces an erection and increases semen
production by several hundred percent. He has no way to stimulate
orgasm, so that is forced out by simple hydr