Carol Cleveland: Lady Mountback • Young Lady • Catherine • ...

The Spanish Inquisition

Lady Mountback • Young Lady • Catherine • Second Counsel

Reg: Trouble at t'mill.
Lady M: Oh, no! What sort of trouble?
Reg: One on't cross beams gone owt askew on't treddle.
Lady M: Pardon?
Reg: One on't cross beams gone owt askew on't treddle.
Lady M: I don't understand what you're saying.
Reg: One of the cross beams has gone out of skew on the treadle.
Lady M: Well, what on earth does that mean?
Reg: I don't know! - Mr. Wentworth just told me to come in here and say that there was trouble at the mill, that's all - I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition!
[the door flies open and in come three Cardinals in red robes]
Cardinal Ximinez: NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise!... Surprise and fear... fear and surprise... Our two weapons are fear and surprise... and ruthless efficiency! Our three weapons are fear, and surprise, and ruthless efficiency... and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope... Our four... no... Amongst our weapons... Hmf... Amongst our weaponry... are such elements as fear, surpr... I'll come in again.
[They leave]
Reg: [gamely] I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition.
[They burst in again]
Ximinez: NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!... Amongst our weaponry are such diverse elements as: fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope, and nice red uniforms - Oh damn!