The sun had already disappeared behind the treetops, but the long-awaited coolness did not come. Hot from the heat of the day the air was filled with moisture and became viscous and heavy. The townspeople hurried to their homes in the ghostly hope of finding salvation outside the walls of the old stone houses. Only the main square of the old town was full of work. A few workers, naked to the waist, knocking with hammers and retaining them, made a huge platform. A penalty was to be held in the morning — the favorite entertainment of the crowd.

A tall man in a strict black jacket and knocking on a tiny window three times came up to a low door, barely visible on a dark background overgrown with ivy and moss. There was a nervous romp and disgruntled muttering. In the narrow doorway, the porter’s face, flushed with the heat and anger, appeared.

- Who else the devil bear? - He growled in a raspy voice, - Who is there?

“I am Christopher North,” said the man, “The commandant is waiting for me.” Open up.

The window slammed shut, the clanging of keys was heard, and the heavy door opened with a nasty creak. The man had to bend almost in half in order not to knock on the lintel.

“Come in, Mr. North,” in front of him stood a fat, legged, elderly man in shabby clothes.

Locking the gate behind Chris, he, sailing with keys, hobbled to the low stone building of the commandant's office. A light was burning in a small square window. Chris waited.

- Mr. Christopher North! - A short, thin man in a black frock coat, buttoned up on all buttons, rose from the table lined with papers, - I've been waiting for you for a long time. As soon as I was informed that you would come, I revised my plans for the evening and decided to stay. A man like you ...

“Enough verbiage,” North slowly lowered himself onto a creaky wooden chair.

“I’m listening to you,” the commandant assumed a business attitude.

“The execution will take place tomorrow,” said the guest in an even voice.

- Yes, - the commandant nodded, - And what?

“I want to talk to the bomber.” She was my slave, and I want to hear an explanation from her mouth.

“You see,” the commandant leaned back in his chair and rolled his eyes, “You can, of course, talk.” But what does it make sense now? Tomorrow this worthless slave will be erected on the scaffold ...

- Do you refuse me? - sharply interrupted him North.

- What do you! - the commandant waved his hands, - How can I refuse such a person? I just expressed my opinion ...

“That doesn't interest anyone,” Chris continued in the same tone.

The commandant reddened with anger, but swallowed this pill. Taking himself in hand and again taking the majestic look, he cleared his throat and shouted loudly:

- Sergeant!

After a few seconds a little disheveled young man flew into the room, buttoning up his uniform as he went. His eyes were bloodshot, his face reddened. His hands were shaking so that this guy could not cope with his buttons.

- Again dragged whore? - the commandant shouted at him, - I’ll put you under arrest, then you will know ...

“I have little time,” Chris interrupted again.

“Yes, yes,” the commandant covered his mouth with his hand, “Take this gentleman to cell number five.”

- Yes, sir commandant! - Sergeant snapped his heels.

North walked quickly along a narrow prison corridor, followed by a sergeant who lit the path with a torch. It was quiet. The tightly closed doors of the cells did not let a single sound through, but Chris knew that behind these walls prisoners and prisoners were not at all blissful. As if the human genius, the most sophisticated on sadistic fabrications, built this structure with only one purpose - to cause as much torture as possible to its guests.

“We came,” the sergeant announced in a strange tone.

“Open up,” Chris ordered.

A heavy bolt thundered, and the massive door crawled to the side, freeing a narrow passage into a stone dungeon.Taking a torch from the hands of a soldier and telling him to wait outside, North entered the chamber. Immediately, a wave of stale air, mixed with human sweat and feces, struck the nose.

Raising the torch higher, he could hardly see a small figure of a prisoner at the opposite wall. The girl was chained in heavy shackles, the chain of which was attached to the wall with its middle link. His hands behind his back were also bound by a thick iron ring, from which a short chain stretched to the wall. Apparently, this seemed insufficiently to the executioners, and they chained the slave also behind the neck, wearing a wide, rough hoop.

The girl was completely naked, and Chris noticed how her fragile body was trembling finely. But even in this state, she looked exciting. The young man involuntarily admired her perfect figure: full hemispheres of the breasts with large circles around the dark nipples attracted to him, as if asking to caress them, the flat elastic tummy tensed and weakened with each exhalation.

The captive is not easily raised her head. In her black as tarry big eyes, the light of a torch was reflected, and they seemed to glow with a bloody sheen.

“Hello, Dana,” said North, trying to speak smoothly.

- Why did you come, master? - the slave twisted her mouth in a mock smile

“No,” Chris shook his head. “I came to ask you.”

“What, master?” - smiled slave.

- Why did you do that? Why rushed at me with a knife?

- To kill you! - screamed the girl - And then myself!

“Why did you need my death?” - Chris was surprised. - Did I mistreat you? Did I force you, beat you, starve you?

“You don't understand, master,” the slave answered quietly.

- And you try, - North did not retreat.

Dana looked at her master, and that shiver ran through her body. The girl did not take her eyes off him, her little bit slightly flat nostrils, like most African women, but her pretty nose was swollen, as if steam was about to break out of them. Probably, she was not drunk for a long time, and her plump sponges cracked. Her breathing quickened and even became intermittent. Slave was very excited.

After drawing air into her lungs, she croaked, looking Chris in the eyes:

- I loved you, master! But my love was not slave! I was ready to rush into the flame, die for you, but you did not even notice it! And when this blonde in a dress with a deep neckline appeared in the house, and you sat at the table and chatted merrily, hugging and kissing, I realized that I meant nothing more to you than an old broken coat hanger, whose place had long been at the city dump. Of course, the owner, what could mean the insignificant dark-skinned girl against a lady like Mrs. Liliana! That's when I decided to kill you and myself, so that at least there in heaven we may be able to unite!

The forces left her, and Dana hung on her chains. The thick collar hoop slammed into her thin fragile neck, bringing new misery. The girl moaned softly.

Chris rushed to the prisoner and grabbed her head. Having groped a flask of water on his belt, he tore a cork with his teeth and brought his neck up to the girl's white lips. Dana, feeling the life-giving moisture, eagerly began to drink, and her master, supporting the slave at the waist, buried her face in her still beautiful thick hair, but had time to absorb all the stench of the prison cell.

“Mr. North,” said the sergeant’s low voice behind him, “It’s time.”

“Forgive me, girl,” Chris whispered, uttering words with difficulty, “I turned out to be an incredible fool.”

Dana raised her eyes to him, and Chris saw them fill with tears. Unable to look at it anymore, he quickly left the cell and, without waiting for the attendant, walked down the corridor, mentally cursing everyone around him, but most of all himself.

***

The morning of this day was clear and cloudless. A light breeze, blowing from the sea, rustled in the broad paws of palm leaves. Small waves with a quiet hiss rolled on the sandy shore, playing with him in the pebbles.Small fish frolicked in shallow water, and children used it, trying to ...