"Kowalski! Alternative torture options."

Marlene gasped as the tallest of her three captives began scribbling in his notebook with the usual air of excitement and concentration, this time mixed with savage pleasure she had never seen in him before. Skipper tossed the useless tickling device aside and Rico hopped from foot to foot in obvious anticipation.

None of them believed her story; they thought her homicidal, not recognising her due to her chlorinated, white-bleached fur; they continued to believe her to be Arlene the Arctic mink, and after sending a fainted Private outside and binding her to a chair in their base, they were using more 'hard ball' methods. Their aggression had been like an army game at first, she thought... never had she imagined it would come to this... torture and interrogations... small beads of sweat broke out over her forehead as panic began to fill her. She couldn't see any way out unless they started to listen to her explanation.

"Let's see..." Kowalski scanned the page, chewing the end of his pencil. Marlene panted in fear. She pulled at her rope restraints but to no avail. He tapped the notepad page and concluded, "the most effective methods we can use with what we have are as follows: electrocution, crushing bones, tooth extraction, whipping (simple but effective), abacination, water boarding or other methods of oxygen deprivation, 'squassation', starvation..."

Marlene's vision started to swim before her. Kowalski's voice was drowned out by a ringing in her ear. Several moments passed before pain exploded in the side of her face and she regained her senses, shaking her head.

"Now," said Skipper, lowering his fin. "I think that the most effective way is the 7 Minutes of Pure Hell." The other two penguins gasped in unison. His fins were placed on her knees. The plumage on his chest rose a little, threateningly, making him look larger than he was. He leaned in until his expressionless face was centimetres from Marlene's, and terrified but unable to look away, she stared back at him wide-eyed and silently. In a quiet and silky smooth voice, he spoke. "I believe you are familiar with this technique?"

Marlene shook her white head very slightly.

He leaned back a little. "Very well, my little mink... 7 Minutes of Pure Hell is a very effective means of getting information out of people. It goes like this." The three penguins slid over to each other and stood in a line facing her. Rico eyed her all over with a kind of sick hunger in his eyes. "First, the prisoner has a short period of time to spill the beans. If he or she does not, he or she is gagged, and each man or woman holding the prisoner captive will then take turns with the prisoner, in private, for a session of seven full minutes each." Rico began to pant. "During this time, they will each do whatever they want to the prisoner, whatever they think will be most unbearable." His voice dropped again, even quieter. "It's an obscure and completely unregulated method of torture. Banned in most places. Even if the prisoner is stretched to breaking point, he or she will not be able to chose when to talk. The prisoner will have to wait until the end, since after every varied session of pain or sometimes other methods, the gag is removed and the prisoner is given another chance to talk in front of everyone." Kowalski stepped forward, his face impassive. "Kowalski, traditionally, would start... his gadgets and gizmos have, in the past, proved very useful. Then Rico would have his turn. However, I have decided that I will be the first to torture Arlene."

Kowalski and Rico looked at him in surprise. Marlene swallowed. He continued savagely, "And now, 'Arlene', unless you would like to tell us the whereabouts of Marlene and what exactly you did to her, we will begin part one. I'll get the truth out of you... unless you tell us now."

Marlene swallowed. Her voice quavering, she said "I keep telling you... I'm Marlene... the chlorine in my pool..."

"Lies!" Skipper snarled. "All lies! Rico!"

Rico procured a length of thick, white fabric, and Skipper tied it tight around the bottom half of her face, glaring into her eyes. Her nose was left exposed so she could breathe. She heard the other two leave through the main grate in the corner.

They were alone, and there was no way of getting out of this now.

He stood behind her, placed his fins on her shoulders, leaned in until the tip of his beak was almost touching her neck. She turned her head and watched him out of the corner of her hazel eye. She was trembling.

"And now, my little mink," he said, his voice low and silky once more, tinted with his own savage pleasure, "we can begin."