26

Marietta jumped as the dull rumble echoed through the cellar: she knew what that noise meant. She moved to the edge of the bed and sat there, waiting. This time it sounded as though more than one person was descending the stone spiral staircase.

‘What is it?’ Benedetta sounded terrified, and Marietta didn’t feel much better.

‘It’s the door at the top of the stairs. Someone’s coming,’ she replied, not taking her eyes off the opening that marked the base of the staircase.

The sound of footsteps drew closer, and then two men stepped into view. Marietta could have wept with relief as she saw the guard approaching her carrying a towel and a metal bucket, the contents of which steamed slightly.

The guard went straight over to where Marietta sat, and placed the bucket on the floor in front of her.

‘Wash yourself,’ he instructed curtly, then turned and left.

The other man, who had presumably delivered a bucket and towel to Benedetta, followed him from the room.

‘What do we do now?’ Benedetta asked, her voice trembling with fear.

‘We do what they tell us,’ Marietta said.

Ten minutes later, the guards returned, carrying two bundles of white material, one of which they tossed onto Marietta’s bed, the other one on to Benedetta’s. One of the men removed a key from his pocket and the taser from another, and then stepped forward.

‘Give me your left hand,’ he said. ‘I’m going to release your handcuff so you can get changed. If you try anything, you’ll taste the taser again. Do you understand?’

Marietta nodded. ‘Get changed into what?’ she asked. ‘What for?’

‘You’re to put on that white robe I’ve given you, ready for the ceremony. Take off all your other clothes. All of them – your underwear as well. And then wash your whole body again. You have to be clean.’

Releasing her handcuff, he stepped back. ‘Now get on with it,’ he snapped. ‘We haven’t got much time. The ceremony must begin on time.’