Pilus Primus was surprised to note that his heart was pounding. His eyes met Messaline’s as the crucifixion squad rushed to perform Repertor’s orders. She made no protest as they tore her clothes off, throwing them to the round like the discarded rags that they had become.
As her loin cloth came off, and she stood naked in front of the crowd, Pilus said, ”Tu nedois faire ça, Messaline...” You don’t have to do this, Messaline.
“Oui,” she contradicted, “je dois faire.”
“God, help her, God give her strength!” prayed Pilus as they pulled her over backwards onto her cross. His mind was whirling, a seething mass of confused emotions. She looks beautiful…this scene is grotesque…this is wonderful…this is terrible….I want to watch….I cannot watch….she must do this…why must she do this? And why must the nails be so big and so sharp?”
The sound of the hammer on the nail echoed back from the mountain. Messaline didn’t scream, but to Pilus her agony was obvious, as her body jerked and tears stained her face, but still her eyes did not leave his. She gazed at him like this for every blow of the hammer on every nail, and Pilus shared with her the torture of that terrible process of crucifixion.
And not one sound, not one word of protest escaped her lips.
The crowd behind Pilus murmured in appreciation of the courage of this woman. “Dieses Mädchen ist zu mutig und zu schön für das Kreuz!“ exclaimed one. This woman is too brave and too beautiful for the cross! Some clapped in agreement. The clapping stopped abruptly when a soldier raised a sword.
The cross creaked slightly as they began to lift it. Pilus watched her breasts rising and falling in quick gasps as she endured the agony of her weight being taken on the nails.
The cross slid down into the hole and hit the bottom hard. Messaline’s body was thrown around on the nails as if she was a rag doll. Then, and only then, did she cry out from her cross, and all the pent up anguish of the last few awful minutes escaped in a single word :
"BARBARIA!!!!”
“ BARBARIA! ..Barbaria!... Barbaria!” replied the mountains.
Pilus looked up at the naked, tortured woman, and wept. Malins stood beside him, and gripped his hand in support. Neither could do a single thing to help Messaline.
. But running away won't rid the world of old Kibonreju now will it?
