Andyman
Senator
At three o’clock a man came to the town’s gate leading a young woman, both cloacked and hooded. It was pitch dark and the door were of course closed but when the man produced a document signed by the maior, the guards quickly removed the bar and opened the gate, and the couple went out.
„This way”, told the man to his comrade, pushing her hard to the right from the path. The stairs were pale and the sky slowly begun to light up, so they were able to walk through the rocky plain with no torch. After some ten minutes they went near some three metres high wooden post and the man ordered her to halt.
„So, lady Daria, you had heard the sentence .”
„Of course. I will be exiled and I cannot bring any possession nor any slave with myself. And you will escort me out of the city grounds to be sure I will not return.”
„You are right. It was an official part of the sentence. Now, as for the unofficial, the high council decided to make sure you will never return.”
„What do you mean?”
„We will go no further. You will stay here forever.”
„Did they order you to kill me!?”
„Exactly”, nodded the man, and produced the knife from under his cloack. The girl covered her face with her hands. Now one can see that her wrists were tied together with a rope. The man cut the rope setting her hands free.
„Take off your clothes”, he ordered.
She looked at him surprised.
„Wouldn’t you simply stab me?”, she asked him frightened.
He laughed.
„No, of course I wouldn't. Didn’t you notice the patibulum and stipes here? Look!”
She looked around and cried with fear seeing the ready wooden beam and nails on the ground.
„But… but the people will see me… and they will recognize me!”
„No one will come closer than two hundred yards”, he clarified. „We are within the borders of the lepers zone. I am myself resistant to leprosy, so I could bring you here, but no other man nor woman will risk entering the zone. And no leper will appear before the sunset, but till the sunset you will be dead. I was ordered to nail you strained and with no support, so you will die with overextension and pain within few hours. Okay, undress quickly, I have no more time for you.”
The warm and beautiful day broke and the chirps of steppe birds filled the air together with the excruciating cries and screams of the condemned woman mercilessly hammered to the wood.
Everything was fine. The Roman Peace continued unrivaled over the country.
„This way”, told the man to his comrade, pushing her hard to the right from the path. The stairs were pale and the sky slowly begun to light up, so they were able to walk through the rocky plain with no torch. After some ten minutes they went near some three metres high wooden post and the man ordered her to halt.
„So, lady Daria, you had heard the sentence .”
„Of course. I will be exiled and I cannot bring any possession nor any slave with myself. And you will escort me out of the city grounds to be sure I will not return.”
„You are right. It was an official part of the sentence. Now, as for the unofficial, the high council decided to make sure you will never return.”
„What do you mean?”
„We will go no further. You will stay here forever.”
„Did they order you to kill me!?”
„Exactly”, nodded the man, and produced the knife from under his cloack. The girl covered her face with her hands. Now one can see that her wrists were tied together with a rope. The man cut the rope setting her hands free.
„Take off your clothes”, he ordered.
She looked at him surprised.
„Wouldn’t you simply stab me?”, she asked him frightened.
He laughed.
„No, of course I wouldn't. Didn’t you notice the patibulum and stipes here? Look!”
She looked around and cried with fear seeing the ready wooden beam and nails on the ground.
„But… but the people will see me… and they will recognize me!”
„No one will come closer than two hundred yards”, he clarified. „We are within the borders of the lepers zone. I am myself resistant to leprosy, so I could bring you here, but no other man nor woman will risk entering the zone. And no leper will appear before the sunset, but till the sunset you will be dead. I was ordered to nail you strained and with no support, so you will die with overextension and pain within few hours. Okay, undress quickly, I have no more time for you.”
The warm and beautiful day broke and the chirps of steppe birds filled the air together with the excruciating cries and screams of the condemned woman mercilessly hammered to the wood.
Everything was fine. The Roman Peace continued unrivaled over the country.
