Cressida was surprised that Katrina was showing not the merest flicker of resistance or defiance. On the contrary; the girl’s fear and dread were palpable. To Cressida, it seemed as if she could smell and even taste her terror. She gripped Anya’s arm tightly for solace and reassurance. Anya took Cressida’s hand, squeezed and held it.
Sandhu turned to address the subdued and apprehensive girls, his voice pure steel.
“You all know why you have been summoned to witness this punishment. Katrina’s sentence is fifty lashes. Let this be a warning to you all.”
He turned back to the defenceless girl bound to the post, and without preamble drew the whip back and lashed it with unerring accuracy across the centre of her protruding buttocks. The whip left a mass of bright pink feathery stripes and
