Carterson Prison, October, 1864
"I am so glad I don't have anything else on my schedule today." Linceul sounded genuinely pleased to have Heath as a guest. "I do hope you won't be giving in too easily, boy, I have several things I want to try."As before, Heath could not follow him with his gaze, bound as he was tight to the drying rack. "In fact, just to make sure you don't interrupt -" Linceul appeared for a moment in Heath's view with a length of cloth, and then cinched the gag between his teeth like the bit of a bridle, tying it snugly at the nape of his neck. Heath growled and struggled briefly, but he had such a limited range of movement he accomplished little. Linceul then stepped behind Heath again, and without warning, blindfolded him. The sudden blindness was intended to frighten, and it had its desired effect. Linceul was pleased to see Heath's breathing quicken as he he pulled against his bonds, wasting his energy in a surge of anxiety.
"I like to add the element of surprise. Are you ready? Let's begin."
Heath struggled to calm himself down. He was glad to find that the seeds of anger sown with those coffee beans this morning seemed to be taking root rather than withering, despite the fact that his situation was growing more horrible by the second. He welcomed the feeling. He had seen enough of his comrades, brave boys and tough as they come, brought to their knees by injury, torture, fear, or just the terrible experiences of war. He had few illusions about how much he or any person could take before they broke. Everyone breaks, at least on the outside. He just didn't want to break on the inside.