In the heat of the revolution, not only the Royals lost their heads. Many people who were seen as part of the ‘establishment’ were also despatched by the guillotine.
One of these unfortunates was a doctor. A very dedicated doctor as it transpired.

A guard was assigned to accompany the condemned man to his fate.

Amazingly, the doctor didn’t want to waste a useful scientific opportunity.

He had a theory that a detached head could stay alive for quite a while without it’s body.

So he asked his guard to help with an experiment. He told the guard that after being beheaded, he would keep on blinking for as long as possible and the guard should count the blinks until they stopped.

The guard did so, and counted eleven blinks before the doctor’s head finally died.

This is how my story, Summer Sky, came to be written many years later.

But before writing the story, I did some research to be certain I had got my facts right. I came across many factual stories of heads staying alive for minutes after execution.
Some even had the heads talking.

I’m happy just to leave my victim’s head admiring the summer sky.

John Read

My Profile HERE.

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