Mungus: Book 1 by Chad Leito Page B

prisoners were soon dead bodies lying in the sand.  After ten minutes all that was on the arena floor were dead carcasses and dogs filling their bellies with flesh.
    It didn’t stop after that.  They removed the bodies and the dogs from the sand and brought out a new death game.  Prisoners with their hands tied behind their backs ran over the sand as archers shot arrows through their hearts and faces.  And for the final act there was a giant brawl where hundreds of prisoners were given swords, bats, and other weapons and forced to kill each other.  Archers from the crowd shot at the prisoners who refused to fight and eventually everyone was fighting and the sand was crimson red.  No one won any of the games.
    “Is it over?” Saul said from his hands.  His voice was muffled.
    “Don’t look, Saul.”
                  As they were clearing away the bodies a man in a black suit and tie walked out over the bloody sand to the middle of the arena.  He smiled and turned around to look at everyone in the audience before saying, “I hope that you all enjoyed the show!”  The crowd cheered and whooped and yelled praises at the man.  Hank stood up and whistled and clapped.  He had been overcome by ecstasy at seeing so much violence.
                  The man in the suit had excellent posture and his baldhead was exposed under the sun.  “In case any of you don’t know, I am Confagulous Dickerson, the president of the nation Ramus.”  To this the audience gave a scattered clap.  “I would like to say a few things before I ask everyone under 18 years of age to leave the Theatre so that the gorier events, the tortures, can commence.”
                  Hank cursed and said to Di, “So we can’t stay for the good part?”
                  “Guess not,” Di said without taking his eyes off of the president.
                  Hank cursed again and the president continued on.  “I don’t usually come to these things, but I was just down the street.  I would like to remind everyone that what has happened today was not intended to be entertainment for entertainment’s sake.  You are supposed to enjoy the Theatre because it is a place of justice where criminals who were found guilty by a fair court system were tried and convicted.  You should like watching justice, and that’s what the Theatre is for.  I don’t want the Theatre to become a place where people come to get some sick thrill out of watching people be killed.”  The president coughed into his hand and then said, “at this time I’m going to ask that everyone under the age of eighteen please leave the Theatre.  The torture section is about to begin.  Thank you.”
                  The president then walked off of the sand and down a hall on the arena floor.  Guards began rolling out a giant metal contraption with locks and chains and blades. I couldn’t even imagine what this device was for.  “Let’s go,” said Di.  He took a pinch of tobacco out of a metal can and stuffed it under his lip.
                  We all stood up and Saul asked, “Can I look now?”
                  “Yes, Saul, we have to go.”
                  Di led and our chain gang walked back down the wooden staircase and out of the Theatre.  All of the children had to leave, but still, thousands of people stayed to see the more gory part of the entertainment.  Our group walked through the halls and out of the building when a loud, deep voice made me jump.  “Di!”
                  Di remained calm and turned around to look from under his cowboy hat at the approaching man in a black suit; President Dickerson.  “Can I help you, Mr. President?”  Di spat on the ground and the President gave him a disgusted look that went from the spit on the dirt to Di’s face.
                  “As a matter of a fact, you can.  You can unchain these men