THE LORDS OF THE SHIPS

CHAPTER 9 Manipulation

1.

Judith and her roommates heard some commotion from outside the window. 

They went over to the window and looked down toward the other building and saw guards taking Alex away with James walking with them.

The guards brought Alex down into the cargo hold and searched him. 

The guards then chained his arms and legs. 

They took Alex's locket off him and gave it to James. 

The guards went and heated up an iron rod to burn his back.

James walked up to Alex and took the iron rod from the guard then motioned the guards to leave. 

The guards left and James started hitting Alex in the back with the hot iron rod. 

Alex yelled and grimaced in pain. 

James put the rod back in its place and walked up to Alex and said—

—"Nothing personal mate, just doing a favor for that girl that you embarrassed. You can thank her for the predicament that you're currently in and the torture and the beatings you've received up till now. This whole thing was her idea, she just wanted my help. She wanted me to tell you that she was incensed when you knocked that stuff out of her hands and humiliated her. And she asked me to torture you for it."

Alex knew that James was saying these lies to try to make him angry towards Judith. 

Then Alex, to see how James would react, said—

—"She told me about how she humiliated you when you were in school and how she used to have a crush on you until she realized how you really are. A coward. I guess that's why she became very attracted to me."

James laughed and then punched Alex across his face and said—

—"And you believed her? I've known her far longer than you have. Would you like to know what she really thinks of you?"

James continued saying—

—"She told me that if she could, she would put you and your sister to work directly for her family so that you could be beaten and tortured by her and her sisters. She also told me how gratifying it was that you were able to watch your criminal parents being killed in front of you and how she wished she could've been there to see it." 

Alex stared furiously at James. 

Then James said—

—"If you really believe that she has 'Any' real attraction towards you, then you're even dumber than I thought. If she wasn't such a coward trying to maintain her cover, she would've slapped you the second you knocked that stuff out of her hands."

James continued—

—"And as much as I'm enjoying torturing you and your friends, I'll make a deal with you. If you do what I say, I'll leave you and your friends alone."

Alex knew that James was trying to manipulate him into hating Judith so that he would do his bidding in order to have everyone hate and turn against Judith; so that being on the ship would be worse for her than leaving the ship. 

Thus ensuring his self satisfaction in Judith's figurative destruction.

But for all that Alex knew, James really did know Judith longer than he did. 

So Alex still had a bit of doubt in his mind whether what Judith told him was the truth or if she was actually pretending and putting on an act this whole time with a fabricated story.