Publisher's Synopsis
He writhed and spat in the corner, and Cambrozes watched, a thick, evil smile smeared across his oily face.
Carcass Doom, the other henchman helping administer the torture, grabbed the prisoner by his now bloodied and torn shirt, dragged him to a nearby chair, and threw him into it. Henry Hudson, who had been captured and was being forced to watch the other man's suffering, was restrained by the third of the group, Lavender Frikiseed. Henry noticed a tattoo of a snake on the man's wrist as he pinned him down. He gathered from the conversation that Lavender was going to be the one responsible for obtaining the claymore of power. "Look up," hissed Lavender who grabbed Henry's head and forced him to watch. "Your good friend here is about to die."
Lavender pushed him into a chair, and two Droge creatures scurried forward and began wrapping him to the chair with lengths of rope. They bound his torso to the chair but mistakenly left his arms free. Henry smiled to himself but clasped his hands behind his back and said nothing.
Carcass Doom then straightened up and walked over to a chain, which was wound around a wheel attached to a steel beam. He hooked one end to the chair. "I don't know what you want from me," said the man. Carcass Doom glanced at the stagnant pool of freezing water that lay beneath an opening in the wooden floor before grabbing the chain and pulling it so the man was lifted off the ground. The Droges helped position the chair and the screaming man over the water before Carcass Doom lowered him into it. Down he went, deep, deeper into the cold water. The man struggled to get a last breath of air, but he was submerged too quickly, his eyes bulging with fear. There was nothing he could do. Carcass Doom's strength was no match for any mortal.
"Carcass!" yelled Cambrozes. "That's enough!" Carcass rolled his eyes and pulled the man out of the water. He lifted him in his chair, sputtering, his head lolling about on his neck, and put him brusquely back onto the dry floor.
"Why are you doing this to me?" the man got out between fits of coughing.
"Now, Mr. Brandon Peasley, we're going to have a little talk," said Cambrozes.
"But, I don't know anything!" Peasley yelled.
"It's not what you know that we're interested in; rather, it's what you're going to do for us." Cambrozes took a step closer to him. "I want you to write a letter instructing Caprius Seaton to meet you in the dining lounge of hotel Quantum Heights."
"Why would Caprius Seaton want to meet with me there?" asked Brandon.
Cambrozes slapped Brandon in the face so hard it knocked Brandon and the chair to the ground. Carcass pulled on the chain and lifted him gently back up. "Don't talk to me like I'm stupid!" Cambrozes peered into Brandon's eyes. "I know all about the work you do for him. I also happen to know that he trusts you. And, this is why I know Caprius will show up."
"Take heart, Peasley; soon, we Goncools will run all of Alamptria," said Lavender.
Cambrozes stared intently into Brandon's eyes. "Now, write the letter." Carcass and the Droges moved the chair in front of a small writing desk.
"What's the letter for? What is it exactly that you want?" asked Brandon.
"That isn't any of your concern. All you need to know is what you already know and nothing more," said Cambrozes.
"Well, I won't write it!" yelled Brandon. "You're going to kill me anyway."
"Write the fucking letter!" yelled Cambrozes.
"I won't do it. You'll just have to kill me," said Brandon.
"Frikiseed, soften him up," he said. Lavender gave a small whoop and began hitting him across the head and abdomen. Brandon shrieked with pain, but that seemed only to enliven Lavender, who punched him even harder.