I was in despair. Death I could suffer. But under
torments I feared that my strength might fail. I felt my flesh creeping
and tightening upon my body, which had grown very cold with the awful chill
of fear; my hair seemed to bristle and stiffen until I thought that I could
feel each separate thread of it.
"I swear to you that I have spoken the truth," I cried desperately. "I
swear it by the sacred image of Our Redeemer standing there before you."
"Shall we believe the oath of an unbeliever attainted of sacrilege?" he
grumbled, and he almost seemed to sneer.
"Believe or not," I answered. "But believe this--that one day you shall
stand face to face with a Judge Whom there is no deceiving, to answer for
the abomination that you make of justice in His Holy Name. Let loose
against me your worst cruelties, then; they shall be as caresses to the
torments that will be loosed against you when your turn for Judgment
comes."
"To the hoist with him," he commanded, stretching an arm towards the grey
tentacle-like ropes. "We must soften his heart and break the diabolical
pride that makes him persevere in blasphemy."
They led me aside into that place of torments, and one of them drew down
the ropes from the pulley overhead, until the ends fell on a level with my
wrists.
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