Two Hangmen, One Scaffold Book II: In The Hangman�s Shadow

Chapter 4

23 C Chapter 4 omathemba had been lying on her back for many hours now, resigned to Nicolson. Strangely, he had placed a translucent sheet beneath her that overlapped the bed. She knew him as a man who didn’t care whether they soiled the bedding or not. To her knowledge, he had never cared for anything except perverted intimacy and sadism. The adhesive tape stopped her from asking him questions. With a large Nazi banner, a black swastika on a red mural, on one wall, and the portrait of Adolf Hitler on the opposite, the atmosphere in the hotel room was ominous. Mindful she could be in the hands of a maniac, she guarded against showing fear and fuelling his madness. Nicolson, in Germany’s Second World War SS kepi tunic complete with an officer’s rank insignia, the Golden Honour Badge of the Nazi Party, polished leather breeches, a red armband with a black swastika emblem in a white circle and a decorated military cap, brown shirt and navy-blue tie, was crouched between her spread legs. The man’s appearance was awkward and devilish. He had no trousers on. Despite her fear, she couldn’t help thinking he was the resurrection of a maniacal SS officer taking a break from limbo to extinguish her sexual fires. The Lord was her shepherd; He gave her what she craved. While at it, he started to shed the uniform, starting with the cap, which he threw away. He undid the tie and the breeches. The items followed the cap on the floor. Then he fumbled with the tunic. He was skilled at it, like some magician performing some tricks, the clothing items flying from him to the floor in all directions until he was in polished calf-high boots only. His naked body glistened with sweat. He had the physique of a professional athlete, knotted N 24 abdominal muscles, a Herculean chest, outstanding biceps and muscular legs. The headless figurine, rocking and shifting next to open packets of Viagra and Methamphetamine tablets on the headboard, seemed to sanction and oversee everything on the bed. Ever since she arrived, the abstract curving had overlooked acts of unparalleled voyeurism, experiments with champagne bottles and smacking that drew tears in Nomathemba’s eyes. He performed many naturedefying , demeaning and dehumanising fantasies without her consent. His aim appeared to hurt; though this far, he hadn’t really hurt her. She felt like crying before things got out of hand, to let him know she was no longer comfortable and would rather stop, but the handkerchief in her mouth and the adhesive gagged her from crying aloud. When tears welled in her eyes, he stopped, like one coming to his senses. Perhaps bogus sympathy was part of the rituals. Wordlessly, he wiped tears from her eyes, kissed the adhesive tape covering her mouth, sat in a bedside chair and removed his military boots. Then he crossed to the closet, stepping over the clothes on the floor. She heard him fumbling with the clothing inside. After a while, he emerged in a plain white T-shirt and the jean trousers torn in one knee. Going round the bed, he checked every strap, making sure the straps weren’t yielding. Then he left the suite. She guessed he went to the hotel bar for a few drinks, but he was doing it mutely, which was unlike him. If it was all part of the act, then Hollywood superstars had better watch out, he was good. She was very scared, something she couldn’t continue to deny to herself. Later on, he returned, visibly tipsy and smelling of beer. He carried a wooden container packed with ice cubes, and headed to a refrigerator in a corner of the room. Opening the refrigerator, he placed the ice inside it. By jerking her head in the direction of the en suite toilet, she vainly begged him to unbind her so that she could relieve herself. He 25 fetched two water glasses and placed one between her legs. Though he had degraded her, she felt sadistic games were one thing, calls of nature another. It was downright undignified for her to relieve herself while he was looking. She shook her head. He pressed an area slightly above her mound, and urine poured into the glass as he massaged the spot. She ascertained he had an intimate understanding of human...