Slaughter & Spindle

Slaughter and Spindle are a duo of jailers and tortures from the Tower of London. They are also villains from the book Tower of Terror by Terry Deary. Slaughter is bald and so fat that his eyes are almost hidden in his big face. In contrast with him, Spindle is a thin and works as Slaughter's helper. They are both pale and quite foolish, but very good at their job.

History
When Simon Tuttle is brought to the Tower of London because he "robbed" recently deceased Queen Elizabeth I, Slaughter and Spindle greet him there and take him to the cell. They are little bit upset, because they can't torture and kill him yet. As Simon is a traitor, they have to wait until James I, a new king of England and Ireland, gives the an order to kill the boy.

Next day, the duo decides to frighten Simon and show him their workplace, including their instruments of torture. However, they don't want to torture him, as they like him. They only aren't sure if Simon is tall enough to be tortured on the rack and ask him to lie down on it, but he refuses.

Later, an order really comes, but not the one everybody is waiting for. William Shakespeare and Richard Goodblade, an actor, come to the Tower, both masked as Scottish envoys. They bring an "order by James I" which tells that all prisoners have to be released. Although Shakespeare and Goodblade forget their fake names and try to speak with a Scottish accent immoderately (and sometimes forget to do it), Slaughter and Spindle suspect nothing and release Simon. However, Spindle then realizes that it is impossible to get a letter about Queen Elizabeth I' death and Simon to Scotland and then come back with an answer in two days. Shakespeare and Goodblade claim him that James I used a carrier pigeon, but Spindle doesn't believe them. He says that no pigeon is big and strong enough to carry a letter with a big seal. Shakespeare then reveals him James I's big secret: carrier eagles! Satisfied Spindle eventually let them go.