"Then how did you know that you have been imprisoned for two years?" Verak was quite curious. Could it be that Keating was also silently counting the days in a prison with no concept of time.
"Prison guards take a day off every New Year, and prisoners can rest on that day, so for some people, even though the specific month has been blurred, they still know to some extent that they have been here for several years," Keating explained.
He said, "Today is Tuesday, September 12, 1433, right?"
Verak was stunned: "...right."
"It shows that my calculation is correct." Keating was very satisfied with this, and the smile on his face became stronger. "The people who have been assigned to my cell to take care of me in the past six months are all old prisoners. I haven't been able to check the date for a long time."
"Have you been counting the days every day for two years?" Verak was also planning to do this.
"Yes." Keating said, "Knowing the time is also a way to keep yourself awake."
Verak was convinced.
If you don't even know the time, you will gradually lose your desire for the outside world, slowly integrate into this place, and become a part of the prison machine, without any hope anymore.
"I will also memorize the date. It is better for two people to memorize it than for one person to ensure that there are as few mistakes as possible." Verak said.
"Do you want to go out?" Keating heard Verak say this and looked at him with a half-smile.
Verak did not hide his desire for freedom. Everyone who was imprisoned here wanted to get out. How could he be an exception: "Of course, it is impossible to like it here."
"But do you know? For eighty years, the prisoners who entered this place have never left alive. Some of them even died and could only be buried in the pile of rocks near the prison, unable to return to their hometowns."
"I know, I've heard people talk about it." In fact, Verak is not willing to mention this. This fact will always bring him great despair, and he doesn't want to be crushed yet, "But people like me who have just come in
, you won’t compromise and accept your fate so easily, right?”
"It sounds like you are not very confident about the future." Keating is very good at seeing more of a person's thoughts from language.
Verak stood at the door of the cell and looked outside through the gap in the railing. The prisoners outside were being taken away in an orderly manner by the prison guards: "We will talk about the future matters later. It is useless to think so far now... What do you think?
After being imprisoned for two years, do you still have the desire for freedom?"
"In a place like this, no matter how long you are locked up, you will still want to get out all the time. The difference is that some people give up and some don't." There is really nothing to do in the simple prison cell.
Keating's eyes kept following Verak, "I haven't given up yet."
"That's not bad. When I can't hold on any longer, I might be able to draw strength from you." Verak made a joke.
"Then you have to find a way to stay stable in this cell." Keating revealed a little information, "This matter is not only about me, but also about you and the warden."
It was as if Keating hadn't said anything, but it brought more doubts to Verak. He no longer studied the layout outside the cell while watching the prisoners being taken away, but turned to face Keating: "In a short time
I probably won’t be able to leave because Deputy Warden Lecter prohibits me from applying to change cells.”
"Why?" Keating narrowed his eyes.
"I provoked him when I first came here." Verak told him about his dispute with Lecter. "It is precisely for this reason that I was curious why other prisoners were not willing to do this even though it was a very good place.
Live with you."
Keating skipped the second half of the question: "You'll have to suffer if you mess with that young man Lecter. I heard about him in Lezein before I was caught. He's a complete lunatic."
, likes to torture and kill, and caused a lot of trouble in Laizein many years ago."
The reason why Verak is so afraid of Lecter is because on the way to the prison, the prison guards mentioned that the riot at noon was arranged by Lecter. He didn't care whether any prison guards were injured or even lost their lives in the riot, he just wanted to
It's fun to kill a few people naturally.
"Then this prison is simply paradise for him." Verak said.
"Haha... His father arranged for him to work here. It was the wisest choice."
"Who is his father?" Verak was very curious about Lecter's background. He heard from the prison guard that even the warden could not do anything to him. His father must have a high position and a profound background.
Keating groaned: "Before I was arrested, his father was the Minister of Justice in Bresci. The functions of the Ministry of Justice include supervising the construction of courts, maintaining and managing courts, supervising public prosecutions, and recommending civil or criminal laws or procedural legislation.
, and...manage the prison system. So putting Lecter here is a piece of cake for them."
"No wonder..." Verak murmured.
"Your life will be in danger if you offend him." Keating pointed out Verak's situation. "In the past six months, I'm afraid no less than thirty prisoners in Damans Prison died at his hands."
The situation is far worse than I imagined.
Verak's expression became serious: "I thought at most he would cause trouble for me."
"The purpose of establishing this prison is different from other prisons. Other prisons are for education and punishment, hoping that the prisoners will be reborn. Here, for fear that the prisoners will not die, cruelty and torture are prevalent." Keating noticed the change in Verak's expression.
"Faced with someone like Lecter, there's only one way you can save your life."
"What?"
"Never compromise with him." Keating said one word at a time. "Only in this way can he become more competitive. He will not consider executing you until he has conquered you and completely destroyed your will. But this is better than death."
It’s much harder, because you will often be beaten innocently by him, bitten by his dogs, tied to a chair and shocked with electric shocks, burned with countless wounds from cigarettes, imprisoned and not allowed to eat or drink..."
These inhuman tortures made Verak feel unsure.
"Soon you will find that living is really difficult, and death can be achieved immediately as long as you admit defeat to Lecter, kneel at his feet and beg for mercy, and destroy his interest in you," Keating described.
Finished, looking forward to what kind of reply and performance Verak will give.
Verak frowned and walked slowly to the door of the cell. The prisoners outside had been taken to the work area to work. He looked at the silent corridor and pursed his lips without speaking.
The biggest challenge he faced was not abuse or death, but the lack of hope.
If you can't get out of this life, what's the point of enduring the abuse? What's the value of such persistence?
Keating saw hesitation and fear in Verak's back.
After a long time, Verak's hand grabbed the iron railing. He held the iron railing tightly and said in a deep voice: "I will definitely get out, so just come."