nted witnesses until he got
to the last victim in each series. It was the rapes that were his
particular thrill; the murders were enjoyable, but more of a side
effect. So I'll be concentrating on the punishment for rape."

Medart tried not to pay too close attention to what she went on to do,
sometimes with Odeon's assistance. He had to learn about this
culture's less pleasant aspects as well as its more enjoyable ones, and
he definitely had to learn all he could about Cortin herself; that
didn't mean he had to like, or even approve of, what he found out.

This was one of those things. Medart couldn't reasonably argue against
the criminal's execution; most societies, the Empire included, had
death penalties for some crimes, and Medart himself had ordered or
carried out a few. Those, though, had been quick; Imperial justice
didn't demand vengeance.

Kingdoms justice did, and by the time Bradford left a few minutes
later, Medart had no doubt Cortin enjoyed exacting that vengeance.
Before he had to raise his mind-shield to protect himself from the
criminal's pain, Medart got the feelings both she and Odeon were
broadcasting. Odeon didn't like the work; he helped only because he
loved Cortin, and there were things her own torture and maiming by the
Brothers had left her physically unable to do, until Jeshua, and later
Shayan, had healed those injuries. Medart caught a strong
visualization of a seriously injured Cortin before Odeon forced his
thoughts away from that subject.

After that image, Medart was surprised to find no trace of personal
revenge in Cortin's broadcast. She was determined to exact vengeance,
yes, but as she'd said, on behalf of the criminal's victims and their
families. She got considerable pleasure out of it, but again it wasn't
the type Medart would have expected. There was no sadism involved;
what he felt from her was, in a sense, worse. Her emotions in causing
the most prolonged and agonizing death possible were intellectual--the
pride in skill and workmanship of any professional doing a challenging
job to the best of @'s ability. As for the healing--Medart frowned
to himself at that. Odeon seemed like the practical sort, yet he was
firmly convinced that God and the Devil had cured Cortin. He'd have to
get one of them past that reluctance to talk about religion, and given
their differing attitudes, Odeon would be the one to work with. Later.

Keith, unlike Odeon and Medart, seemed t