Oblivious to the distraught cries of their latest victim the master executioner turned to his assistant, “So Hans, I was thinking we’d tighten her ladyship another notch and head down to the town beer garden for some sausages and a few beers.”

Hans glanced briefly at the woman suffering upon the rack before replying, “Sounds good Dieter, I could use some food and drink, after all I doubt our ladyship will be going anywhere but the grave.”

Dieter laughed as he replied, “So true my trusted apprentice. I don’t know what she did to anger the Baron but he has something truly special in mind for her demise.” Smilingly knowingly he continued, “I heard the Baron sent a request to his dear friend the Bishop of Nuremburg for the loan of one of the Bishop’s favorite implements of death, something known as “the Virgin”. Anyway, it’s supposed to arrive here at the fortress in the next day or two.”

Smiling knowingly the master executioner smiled, “I’ve heard from the Bishop’s master executioner that this Virgin is something unusually diabolical, something truly evil. So, all we need do is to keep her ladyship alive until it arrives.”

Her shoulders and hips already dislocated, the doomed woman’s body offered scant resistance as Hans tightened the rack another brutal notch to the sound of the woman’s suddenly renewed screams.

Meeting Dieter at the dungeon entrance Hans ignored the screams as he casually smiled and asked, “So, it’s your turn tonight, after all I bought the beer last night.”