"He was a strong man, but he told me everything. You are not strong. Perhaps you would like now to reconsider your silence."
Jacob closes his eyes. "There's nothing to tell."
"Bon," Athanase says. He sounds genuinely pleased. "Casimir, tue-le et descend-le. On va recommencer avec le Canadien."
Jacob opens his eyes and watches Casimir strangle Lysander, or what is left of Lysander, with his own belt. It seems a mercy. The dead man is lowered to the ground, and removed from his bonds. Then Casimir turns to Jacob.
He tries to fight, but he is weak and handcuffed, and Casimir is incredibly strong. One punch to his solar plexus, followed by a kick to his testicles, and by the time Jacob can think of anything other than breath and agony, he is bound to the same ropes that held Lysander, and Casimir is hoisting him up. The hook that holds him doesn't even wobble as his feet leave the ground. Casimir ties the rope off around the leg of the bed, anchoring Jacob, leaving him hanging diagonally in midair.
Athanase takes the steak knife and begins to cut Jacob's clothes away. Jacob closes his eyes and tries to pretend he isn't there. As Athanase works he makes a point of cutting his victim, the knife rips into Jacob's skin, tearing into his ankles, the insides of his legs, his stomach, his armpits, and despite his best attempts he jerks and moans. Soon he is dangling naked and bleeding from the ceiling.
Then he hears the Zippo flick open again.
"Please," Jacob begs, opening his eyes, abandoning all hope and all stoicism. He begins to weep. It is hard to breathe, his voice is so weak he can hardly hear himself. His shoulders already feel like they're slowly being pulled out of their sockets, and blood drips from a dozen shallow but agonizing cuts onto the floor below him. "Please, no, please."
"Tell me everything."
"Please. There's nothing to tell. Please, God, no, please." He is no longer addressing Athanase, but there is no God, no merciful God would allow a life to come to this, would ever have created beings capable of suffering so much physical pain. It already feels like almost more than he can bear, just from his shoulders and the cuts, and he knows it has really not yet even begun.
"Alors." Athanase smiles and ignites the Zippo. "On va voir."
Chapter 35
"And what do you intend to do with her?" General Gorokwe asks.
His voice is low, powerful, accustomed to command. Veronica looks at Danton, wide-eyed, awaiting the answer, trying to look as pitiful as possible. She hates him with every cell of her being, but right now her only hope is his forbearance.
"Nobody touches her," Danton orders. "She was my wife."
Susan says, "We can't let her go."
"I'm not talking about letting her go."
"We can't ever let her go. Even after it's over."
Danton says, "We'll worry about that when it's over. She won't be a problem until then."
"She doesn't have to be a problem at all," Gorokwe says.
"No. She was my wife. You're not giving her to those monsters."
"It doesn't have to be Athanase. It can be quick and painless. Only say the word and you will never see her again, it is as simple as that."
But Veronica isn't worried. She knows what Danton is like when someone tries to argue with him after he has made up his mind.
"I said no," he repeats, in a tone of voice all to familiar to her, petulance more than anger, as if perhaps the problem is just that he has not been heard correctly until now.
"We don't even know what she knows," Susan says.
"Rockel will tell us." Danton considers Veronica. "But I'll talk to her."
Veronica looks meekly at the floor rather than aim her venomous gaze at him.
"In private," Danton says archly.
Susan and Gorokwe look at one another. Eventually Gorokwe nods. Both of them stand and depart the room. As they reach the door Veronica sees Susan put a familiar hand on Gorokwe's back. It is the touch of an intimate, a lover. She remembers Susan saying that she lived in Zimbabwe before she came to Uganda.
"I told you to go home," Danton says, when there is no one in the room but the two of them. "I gave you a second chance."
Veronica looks around for a weapon. He is a strong man and her arms are cuffed behind her, but this is the only chance she has. Maybe he has handcuff keys on him. Maybe she can kill