Jeremiah paused and let the girls take in each other’s distorted faces. The strap hung loosely over the bar. The callous man stepped back and pulled on a chain that was hooked onto the wall. It caused the bar to rise slowly. The women panicked as they realized that they were about to be hung by their tongues. Blood running down their mouths, they wailed plaintively. At first, the only effect was to take up the slack in the strap. But after a moment, the bar rose high enough that the girls were first drawn closer to the bar and then, gradually, their tongues extended upwards. When the women were stretched to their full heights, frantically trying to assuage the pressure on their tongues, the chain was halted and set fast against the wall.
Jeremiah waited a moment, enjoying the spectacle of
