special offer

“That brings us to the concluding part of our official tour,” said Senor Gonzales. “However, as a special favour to my good friend Mr. Chambers, I have arranged for us to continue with an unofficial guide. Please follow me through this door into a section of the museum that is not open to the general public and only available to special guests.”

“Thank you, Enrique,” said Mr. Chambers. “We’re all extremely grateful to you for opening up the private part of the museum for our benefit.”

He led them to a door with a sign on it saying “Prohibida la entrada,” which even Tracey could work out meant “no entry.” They followed him through the door and emerged along a dark corridor into an area where yet another metal grille barred their entrance. It reminded Tracey of the sort of bars you saw on going into a prison and she shivered again.

“Now we are in the deepest and darkest recesses of the Museum of the Inquisition,” Senor Gonzales said. “Here we demonstrate, for a select group of people only and not the general public, the true reality of life as a woman captured and interrogated by the Inquisition.”

He paused for a moment and Tracey looked around nervously. So far there was nothing specific to alarm her but she felt more and more uneasy the longer she stayed in the place.

“I open the door now,” he said. “Please to follow and I how you in the fullest of detail our interactive approach to the Inquisition.”

Her heart pounding, her breath getting shorter, Tracey nervously went in with the rest of the group. Then, as she was trying to adjust her eyes to the almost total blackness of the place, Senor Gonzales spoke.

“Now with this, the final and most – vivid – part of the tour we make history come alive by using a volunteer to demonstrate how the tortures of the Inquisition worked. Unfortunately our regular volunteer is unable to attend today and so I shall have to make other arrangements. Maria, do we have our replacement volunteer?”