I sat down because I knew the captain wouldn't let it go easily, but I didn't like what he said next.
"Take off the belt, Grego."
I stopped.
"Captain, no, not this."
"Take off the damn belt and hand it over to the father. Now."
I gulped. Deep down, I thought the girl deserved a belt whipping. It was easy for her to get away unscathed, but she almost got her own father killed over a lie.
Without further discussion, I unbuckled, pulled off the belt, and tossed it to Cláudio.
The Captain crossed his arms.
"Either you do it, Cláudio, or I throw her into the circle with the women. The beating will be worse."
I stayed quiet. The Captain wasn't joking. If he threw the girl into the hands of the wives and mothers from the hill, it would be bad. They would finish her off because they didn'
