Simone wiped her hands on the soft cloth she kept tucked under her belt. The cloth had been white when they had started. Now it was crimson. She sighed; her guest was being unusually stubborn. It was making her sad. If he would only admit his wrong and return willingly to the grace of the Emperor. She glanced with some distaste at the cloth in her hands. She honestly didn't like drawing blood. After all any barbarian could break a bone or cut the flesh.
She looked at her guest, he was seated in the room's single chair but he was hanging against the leather bonds as if he were still trying to break free from them. He had actually stopped trying that foolishness some time ago. Now his posture was due to sheer exhaustion. "Why are you doing this, Ferran?" she asked, her voice honey soft. "I don't wish to hurt you, but I must hear your confession. Don't you want to be restored to righteousness?" She came and knelt before the beaten man. She reached out and tilted his chin up to look in his eyes. He gasped as her thin fingers touched him. She smiled warmly as his eyes darted wildly side to side, looking everywhere but at her. "Any man can make a simple mistake. Your sin can be forgiven so easily." She coaxed.
This case was an easy one. Citizen Ferran Demarko had been caught by a jealous husband in the bed of his wife. There was no question of his guilt only of his repentance. Normally this sort of thing wouldn't have even required her to glance at the paperwork. But this time the jealous husband was an important aristocrat. And a pious follower of the God Emperor. Simone let Ferran's head drop back to his chest. This was going no where. She let her hand brush over his head as she moved to the cabinet that held her tools.
For just a moment Simone paused. She felt a shudder run down her spine, as if cold water had been poured down her back. For a second she saw Ferran's brown eyes in front of her. He really did have lovely eyes. He had flinched so when he saw her reach for his face. For his eyes. He feared damage to his lovely brown eyes. Simone snapped back to herself. She rubbed her arms trying to settle her unease. These little fugues had been happening with more frequency of late.
She opened the cabinet and removed a long steel needle. It was crude but she needed resolution. Ferran needed resolution. She turned back to her guest with a rueful smile. "Ferran, I am sure that you have heard the scripture that tells us that whatever is dark and corrupt within us must be let go of. Must be purged from our very being, so we may better worship the Emperor." She stood behind him and cupped her left hand under his chin again and pulled his head back till he was eye to eye with her. Ferran gurgled and began pulling at the bonds again. "You have lusted for another man's wife. This corrupts the harmony the Emperor wishes for all his children." She spoke softly, almost lovingly, "This lust started by coveting. You saw the Lady and wanted her. You were brought low by your sight Ferran." She brought the needle up quickly and plunged it into the dark pupil of his lovely brown eye.
Much later, Simone was resting (she got so tired these days and the headaches…) when Malachi Zakur, her Inquisitional Crusader body guard politely interrupted her silence. "Ma'am, there is an urgent Vox for you." He frowned seeing her resting yet again. "Another headache?" She waved her hand dismissively, "It's nothing Malachi. Who is calling?"
"An Interrogator Fedarsi has requested you to come handle a missing Arbite."
"Really." She arched an eyebrow. It seemed to be her day for unassuming tasks.
Malachi made to turn on his heel, "I will dismiss the Hail. You aren't well. Someone else, an acolyte could help him."
"Malachi, wait." She said with only the barest hint of irritation in her soft voice. Her bodyguard meant well but sometimes he became positively motherly. He stopped instantly.
"Mistress?"
"Did he say why he was requesting my help?"
"No Ma'am. Only that he needed an Inquisitor of your standard."
