An
unusual punishment to be given only for the most
serious crimes.
The person who is found
guilty is tied to a tall pole, facing an audience. Two people selected by the state then step forward. The first briefly describes the positive truths about the person and their life. The second explains the
crime and any other evil that may have been in the criminals
heart,
mind, or
past.
After this, those who choose to stay from the audience form a line. Each person in the line steps forward in their turn and takes what he feels he deserves from the criminal(generally in the form of striking the criminal or confronting the person verbally). The victims, or those with greatest claim for
retribution, are the only ones permitted to kill the criminal, and each of these individual carries a small curved dagger.
The victim must confront the line helplessly waiting and wondering about if and when a dagger will end his or her life.
It is possible for a criminal to wait through hundreds of encounters with those who seek vengance before he is killed. It is also possible that none will stay and the prisoner will be released.