Don’t show them any weakness!

You bite your tongue, hard. Saliva floods into your mouth, and tears threaten to prick at your eyes – but no way are you showing these cunts any sign of weakness. Blood drips down your leg, staining your pants, rolling in fat, shiny drops down your chest.

‘Interrupt me again, and ****-Soo will cut your other leg,’ Justin says matter-of-factly, still pacing. ‘Now, where was I?’

****-Soo’s smile turns even nastier. ‘The plantations.’

‘Of course.’ Justin pauses, and leans over the railing toward you. ‘Naturally, my ancestors used **** labour, and why not? Everyone was doing it in those days, and it was the only way to stay competitive. And before you accuse me of mindless racism, think about the tiny Taiwanese hands that probably sewed both your shoes and the shirt on your back. The world hasn’t moved on so very much since then. It’s just gotten better at lying to itself.’

You say nothing, breathing hard. ****-Soo’s knife was lethally sharp; it’s cut deep into your muscle, and hanging upside down like this, gravity will increase the blood flow. If they don’t take you down before nightfall, it’s possible you’ll bleed to ****.

‘Naturally, some slaves tried to escape.’ Justin flicks a careless finger at the metal apparatus you’re strapped into. ‘There were various attempts at discouraging such stupidity, some more successful than others. The punishment cage I’ve acquired for you isn’t actually authentic – it’s a reproduction, manufactured to exactly the design used by my forefathers hundreds of years ago. I’m sure the museum at the harbor are wondering where it went.’

Justin smiles faintly. ‘But that’s all just window dressing, to be honest with you. I’ve been accused of having something of a flair for the dramatic and I find it a difficult accusation to refute. The real brilliance of tonight, however, is sitting right here –’ he taps his briefcase softly, ‘in this case.’

Again, you say nothing, spitting savagely on the ground. ****-Soo looks up hopefully in case he’s allowed to cut you again, but Justin looks amused.

‘Oh, all right, I suppose I’ve kept you in suspense long enough. ****-Soo? Fetch the needle.’

Your stomach lurches, even upside down.