h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

MARNET's Wobbler (From the Fourth Reading)

Mirghar was at its zenith when Morhiar and Fraez arrived at the House of Thearah Karan. They were greeted by the novice, Carg, who hastened them to the Summer Chamber.
“What’s going on, Carg?” asked Morhiar confused.
“You’ll see sir”, came the novice’s reply.
Fette and Thearah were standing in front of one of the large open windows. They were looking out at the courtyard filled with guardsmen. The two lawmen now joined them.
“What’s happening?” asked Morhiar impatiently.
“You’ll see soon enough, Attorney General”, snapped Fette.
Two young women were being tethered between four thick wooden stakes that had been erected in the courtyard. The stakes were familiar to the lawmen, as ones that were normally used for scourging at Faise prison. They watched as the guardsmen tore the garments from the women leaving them naked, and revealing their vulnerability. The women screamed and sobbed endlessly, in fearful expectation of their fate. Then, four bound and blindfolded guardsmen were bundled to their knees in front of the women.
The area around the two women and the bound guardsmen cleared. As if from nowhere, Intendant Marnet appeared. He was brandishing a large cutlass, which he swung rhythmically above his head. With one almighty swing he decapitated one of the bound guardsmen. He bent down and picked up the head, and swung it from side to side. Approaching one of the women he lifted the head’s neck stump toward her, and then rubbed it hard against her face. She screamed hysterically.
“Where is she?” yelled Marnet infuriated.
Cringing, the woman sobbed frantically, “I don’t know, honestly sir”.
The other plumper woman had turned her head away from the carnage. But, almost instinctively, her eyes were drawn to what was happening. She watched, horrified and struggling to free herself, as Marnet picked at the flesh on the other woman’s breasts with the pointed end of his cutlass. Agonised screams filled the courtyard.
“Tell me where she is”, he roared.
“This is barbaric”, said Thearah turning away from the window. She walked away from the three men and the boy who were watching as if hypnotised by Marnet’s torturing. They did not even hear her words. Thearah left the Summer Chamber, disgusted by what she had witnessed. It was as well she left when she did.
Marnet picked again, at the woman’s flesh. Her screaming was pitiful, but it did not temper the Intendant’s rage. Swinging the cutlass above his head again, he turned and executed another of the kneeling guardsmen. He looked toward the other woman, ensuring eye contact. He could see that her fear had intensified with this ocular embrace, and it thrilled him. He lunged at her with the cutlass, his intention to torment her. She flinched, screaming hysterically, and still struggling to free herself.
Smiling, Marnet’s attention returned to the woman he had been picking at. Grabbing her hair to raise her head, he placed his face close to hers. He looked deep into her eyes, as if searching for an answer. Her screams and sobbing stopped.
“Last chance Pheanah. Tell me where she is”, he said casually.
“Please, sir! I don’t…”
Before the apology could leave her mouth, she felt the blade of his weapon cut deep into her vagina. Then there followed a burning sensation in her stomach before she was surrounded by darkness. Marnet pulled away from her body. He took one step backward, then turned and brought the blade down upon her already ruined carcass. The frenzy that followed is indescribable, as again and again he hacked at the carcass. The other woman screamed and wept helplessly as she watched Pheanah being butchered by the madman.
Then he turned his attention to her, asking, “Well Lura! Do you have something you wish to tell me?” She could not answer his question. The shock of what she had witnessed was preventing her brain from communicating with her vocal chords. “I thought not”, he concluded.
With one tremendous sweep he executed another guardsmen, laughing as he did so. Then he kicked the last guardsman to the ground. He spat at him before driving the blade through his heart. Again, he turned his attention toward the now still and quiet Lura.
“No Lura! You do not get off as easy as these others”. He laughed maniacally, beating the ground with the cutlass. “No! I think Brother Talak’s friends will enjoy your company for quite some time, my girl. And who knows! When I feel the need, I might just come visit you myself.”
He turned to walk away, but before he had gone a few paces he swung about and jabbed at Lura with the cutlass. No contact was made by this lunge. It was another of Marnet’s torments, and he laughed aloud. Then he strode off.
“Take her to Brother Talak’s dungeons at Pel Tyouin. Tell them that they must keep her painfully alive”, he called to the shocked onlookers.
“It seems the Intendant is in need of a bath”, said Fette amused by what he had just witnessed. He smiled, seeing the stunned expressions on the lawmen’s faces. “Don’t be too shocked, my friends. I’m sure you’d be as brutal if they had allowed your wives to be abducted”.