Arriving downtown to pick up orders for our shop, we noticed people gathering and vehicles blocking us in. Expecting a parade, we headed to a nearby hotel and upstairs to order a soft drink and peer out the window onto the square below. We watched intently. Dirt was dumped on the ground. A van drove up as soldiers swarmed the grounds below. A man was escorted from the van to the center of the square. A glint of sunlight on metal attracted my eye and then I noticed a sword slice five times into the manas neck. The scene was surreal. I had just witnessed a public beheading! Children and adults cheered. With the execution over, the dead man was hoisted up for all to see as a warning. The body remained in that position for six hours. How barbaric! Welcome to the Kingdom, the country of Saudi Arabia!