Both Uses

inquisition
in
Red Prophet
(Edited)

And always with him is a White boy who urges the Reds to be ever more brutal, who teaches them the secret methods of torture that used to be practiced by the Papist Inquisitions in Spain and Italy.
Chpt 17 *

inquisitions = harsh and unfair historical religious investigations
"Inquisition," said Isaac.
Chpt 17

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)