A Prisoner Has Need

A mysterious prisoner. A chance to begin again. Reeling from a personal tragedy, Weldon Chapman is assigned what appears to be a clear-cut case of extracting a confession from a young man who has committed murder in front of dozens of witnesses. But the prisoner comes from a neighboring country where ancient customs continue to be practiced. As Weldon penetrates the mystery surrounding his prisoner, he will come to realize that he cannot keep his distance from the agony of this tragedy, nor from the agony that lies within himself. This suspenseful novella (short novel) can be read on its own or as the third story in the "Transformation" volume of The Eternal Dungeon, an award-winning speculative fiction series set in a nineteenth-century prison where the psychologists wield whips.