In all his years in the Chalet Castle, as Bailiff and now Magistrate, Ganix had never used these implements on a prisoner. He had brought many to this place but the sight inside the chamber was always enough to intimidate the required information from his captive. He had never had to draw screams or blood in this room. But it was not this Inquisitor’s intent to simply intimidate. He sought to inflict pain even if the accused offered a full confession before any instrument was applied.

“I have come a long distance to be with you today Monsieur LeClerc. Stories. I have been told stories about your actions. Stories about your past crimes and stories about your involvement in this hideous lie of a new church that you make. But that is another matter. For now, I will simply have you tell me who else participated in this evil destruction of the Lord’s property, in his own sacred house. There is little point in you taking all the burden of punishment upon yourself. It should be shared with those that shared in the crime with you. That is only fair, is it not Monsieur LeClerc?”

LeClerc was sat in a chair in the center of the chamber. He faced Michaëlis who sat on a throne-like chair on a small platform, where he could look down on his prisoner. About the room, the tools of coercion seemed anxious to be put to work. The cord, the water and the fire. It was only a matter of which stage of torture would be needed to extract the confession.