Sybil of the Sands Ch. 03-04

My thoughts were interrupted by the crack of the whip across Baram's back. He grunted but did not cry out. "One," called the guard near Baram, then "Two," as another lash fell. I reminded myself that Baram deserved this. He was a murderer. "Three." The crowd began to chant along. "Four. Five." Tuluk's face was unreadable. Baram made grunts when the whip struck. It fell into a pattern. Crack, grunt. Crack, grunt. At thirty, Baram finally called out, a wordless cry of pain. I was close enough to see the blood trickle down his back. Tuluk paused and looked at the king.

Xentos smiled and folded his hands together, waiting. Tuluk resumed. Nearly every stroke that fell now seemed to draw blood. My stomach churned at the sight. The entire crowd was chanting, bloodthirsty. I looked at the faces of the king's counselors and guards in the seated area. Most were strained eagerly forward, joining the crowd in keeping count. I glanced behind me at Laurent, who was watching grimly, his jaw set. An especially loud roar from the crowd drew my eyes forward again.

A piece of Baram's flesh hung loose, a shred of his back peeled from the rest of the skin. The almonds lurched upwards and I leaned over the edge of the platform and vomited onto the earth, evacuating the meager contents of my stomach. Xentos laughed behind me. "My little egret has a tender stomach! This is for you and your mother as much as it is for me," he said to me. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and sat back, keeping my eyes fixed on the wood of the platform and ignoring the crowd's fevered chants.

Xentos took hold of a handful of hair at the nape of my neck and pulled my head up, firmly but not harshly. "Watch," he hissed. "Watch and learn what awaits those who displease me." My eyes watered, but I fixed them ahead. Baram was sagging against the pole now, held up only by his bound hands. His back was a bloody mess, so much blood that it was impossible to distinguish blood from torn flesh, for which I was grateful. I let my vision drift and focused on the sand in the middle of the square, and the shadow of the whip moving over it. Xentos meant this as a threat, I was sure of it now.

For all the talk Alvidus and Laurent had about a satiety prophet being too valuable to injure, Xentos wanted me to know that I was his to do as he liked with, and he could punish me just as harshly. I doubted he would kill me outright, but he wouldn't hesitate to inflict pain on me. All he needed was for me to feel sexual pleasure, and that involved only one small part of me. I would have to take that risk, though. I would not stay here forever and give up, although I would need to give the impression that I had.

Abruptly, the crowd screamed "One hundred," and broke into the most raucous cheer yet. I refocused on Baram and Tuluk. There was no sign of movement from Baram. He might be dead already. Tuluk dropped the whip and fell to his knees, covering his face with his hands. It was strange to see such emotion from a man I associated only with cruelty. One of the guards drew his sword and released Baram's body from the pole. Baram slumped to the ground, unmoving. The guard rolled Baram over face up and, with a nod from the king, brought his sword down over Baram's neck. I closed my eyes before the sword fell completely. The crowd cheered again, and it went on and on. I felt sick again, but there was nothing left in my stomach to vomit up.

A hand touched my shoulder and someone - Laurent?- yelled that they would take me back, which I barely heard over the roar of the crowd. I was drawn to my feet and I opened my eyes to avoid tripping, keeping them firmly cast downwards and not looking at the spectacle in the town square. Laurent rushed me along, back to the litter I'd come in. The streets were nearly empty now. Everyone was watching at the town center, I supposed. I was hastily tucked into the litter and then we were off, making swift progress now that we had no other obstacles in the road to contend with. Laurent tried talking to me through the curtain, but I kept it shut, replaying the horror in my mind.

When we reached the palace gates, I felt relief. Laurent must have sent word ahead, for Kirin was waiting at the gate, and I tumbled out of the litter into her arms, crying. My emotions were muddled - horror, fear, despair, and strangely relief at being back at the palace, my gilded cage. Kirin hustled me to my rooms, and left to fetch a drink, leaving me to marvel at how I could feel glad to be safe in this cage and hate it at the same time.