Both Uses

inquisition
in
Atlas Shrugged
(Auto-generated)

He left, because the lord of the Inquisition did not approve of his manner of thinking and suggested, at a court banquet, that he change it.†
Chpt 1.5 *
Sebastian d'Anconia threw the contents of his wine glass at the face of the lord of the Inquisition, and escaped before he could be seized.†
Chpt 1.5

Definitions:

(1) (inquisition)
intense or harsh questioning or investigation; more specifically, a church court (especially in Roman Catholic history) set up to find and punish heresy

Historically, the Inquisition (capitalized as a proper noun) refers to Roman Catholic Church courts that investigated and punished people accused of heresy, especially during the Spanish Inquisition. It is remembered for harsh questioning, torture, and severe punishments.
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)