“Kneel,” orders Bishop Angus to Brother Brier. The boy had been caught disobeying the Order’s rules too often to escape punishment. The priests gathered and ruled that Brier must brave the stretcher, one of the most difficult tasks they could throw at a missionary. It’s a long wooden plank studded with pegs designed to stretch a boy’s asshole as he makes his way from one end to the other. The pegs get bigger as he progresses, and many boys don’t have the courage to do it completely.
However, Brier has no idea what to expect. All he knows is that he’s in for some intense discipline. He is guided to the stretcher by Bishop Angus, who has taken a personal interest in the boy’s journey to the upper echelons of the Order. Brier’s head is completely covered by a red hood, and he’s in total darkness as he feels around for Angus’s guiding touch. He trusts the man, but understands that his disobedience could cause even the most caring priests to turn against him.
