Journal Entry 7
At the request of the Shah, Erik began to fabricate new devices to be used in inquisitions. The brisk alacrity in which Erik set about his new task rivaled his enthusiasm for his music. In order to keep Erik free of the lunacy that ran rampant within the court, I did my best to steer him in a better direction and to save his bourgeoning soul. My words fell on deaf ears. My exhorting did nothing to waver Erik's vision to find instruments that would satisfy his need to hurt others.
I believe Erik wanted to try the hand of God. No longer fearing a Higher Being nor a Hell, Erik took on the role of God. Perhaps this partially resulted from his mother and father having forced their views of religion upon a young mind that saw no kindness or charity within others; partially because Erik steadfastly refused to remain under the thumb of any power, be it a benevolent or malevolent being. To have power over life and death had overcome his mind, and I knew he was slipping ever deeper into oblivion when he no longer began to care for his music. His composing had ceased almost entirely.
At first Erik began slowly introducing new torment techniques. From what I could gather, his travels to the various areas of Europe only added to his repertoire of previously unknown or unseen methods of coercion. First came the bastinado from Spain, which would later come to be known as falaka in Persia. This consisted of beating the soles of a captive's feet with a cane. When I asked Erik why this particular practice was so effective, he explained to me the structure of the foot. A human foot has a cluster of nerve endings situated in the sole; the foot consists of numerous small bones and tendons which made falaka an expedient tool. To further add to the humiliation and pain, Erik bound the feet to a wooden plank and the victim would be made to walk on their damaged feet afterward.
As Erik become more accustomed to his surroundings and the Persian climate, he began to find animals that would inflict severe pain on human flesh. During his late evening strolls, Erik found an assortment of animals that would cause an amount of pain on even the strongest of men. Erik at once constructed a box in which to place the prisoner and his findings. Only a circular hole was made at the crown of the box for the head to protrude. Centipedes, scorpions, spiders and snakes were then added to the box. Once the desired information was procured, the box, along with the person held within were placed outside the walls of palace. Carrion would later come to finish the job. The rear outer walls of the palace were lined with such boxes and the smell that emanated from they decaying flesh inside was such that the smell lingered with one's clothes.
Soon after, scaphism was invented. It included the extreme ingestion of honey in order to cause a loosening of the bowels, which attracted insects of all sorts. The bodies of persons subjected to scaphism were then left tied to a boat floating amongst a stagnant pond attracting more insects. Death usually resulted within three weeks' time.
However, it was the latest invention that disturbed me the most. It was at this point that I knew how affected Erik was by his appearance. Erik's efforts to duplicate a deformity upon another's face that matched his own was a constant goal that he strove for. It was not long before he found a method that would mildly yield the results he wanted. I was present for the first trial of the process Erik christened "The Cap," it was a sight I will not soon forget. Erik had scoured the kingdom for a tar-like substance; what he found was a sticky yet pliable mixture of molten sugar. When heated and cooled, this sugar attached itself to surfaces like no other. The process began with a heating of the material in a container which was then poured over the head of the victim. Once cooled, the tawny colored matter was torn off, taking lumps of skin and flesh along with it. The complete process left exposed sores upon the head, which eventually ulcerated and left a lifelong disfigurement. The pride in which I saw in his demeanor alerted me to the true danger Erik posed to humanity.
