MY MEETING WITH MADEMOISELLE, I MADE MY FINAL PREPARATIONS PREPARATIONS WHICH

I SAVORED ALMOST AS MUCH AS THE KNOWLEDGE OF MADEMOISELLE'S IMPENDING DOWNFALL.

THERE WAS THE SMALL DOSE OF CHLORAL HYDRATE, JUST ENOUGH TO PUT HER OUT LIKE A LIGHT FOR AN HOUR AND RENDER HER HELLPLESS. IT WOULD GO INTO THE DUBONNET ROUGE THAT I KNEW SHE WOULD BE UNABLE TO REFUSE.

THERE WAS THE ROOM UPSTAIRS WHICH WAS A VIRTUAL TORTURE CHAMBER. I HAD IT SPECIALLY DECORATED BY A YOUNG SADIST I KNEW WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN, IN A PREVIOUS INCARNATION, THE RECREATION DIRECTOR FOR THE MARQUIS DE SADE.

VERY

THE TORTURE INSTRUMENTS WERE ALL IMPRESSIVE-LOOKING BUT MAKE-BELIEVE, FOR HAD NO INTENTION OF USING THEM ON MADEMOISELLE MARIE CHARPENTIER OR ANYONE

ELSE.

THE BOX WAS TRULY AN INSPIRED WORK OF GENIUS, SPAWNED IN MY MAD VENGEFUL MIND AND DESIGNED TO ... WELL, YOU WILL FIND OUT IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME, DEAR READER.

SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT IT HAD TWO LONG, HEAVILY INSULATED WIRES PROTRUDING FROM IT. AT THE END OF THE WIRES WAS ATTACHED A SEVEN-INCH CYLINDER ABOUT TWO INCHES IN CIRCUMFERENCE. THE CYLINDER WAS STUDDED WITH LITTLE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS FED BY THE CIRCUITRY IN THE BOX AND PHASED BY AN OSCILLATING MECHANISM WHICH DIRECTED CURRENT TO VARIOUS SERIES OF STUDS AT VARIOUS TIMES.

IT MAY SOUND LIKE A LETHAL CONTRIVANCE, BUT TESTED THE THING ON MYSELF TO MAKE SURE NOTHING DANGEROUS TO HUMAN LIFE COULD OCCUR AND FOUND THAT IT OPERATED PERFECTLY.

THE STAGE WAS SET, AND NOW I WAITED WITH EAGER ANTICIPATION AS THE HOUR OF MADEMOISELLE'S PROMISED ARRIVAL DREW NEARER. WHEN THE FRONT DOORBELL DID INDEED RING TO ANNOUNCE HER PRESENCE ON MY DOORSTEP, I HAD TO RESTRAIN MYSELF FROM BOLTING OUT OF MY

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THE ONLY THINGS REAL IN THAT ROOM WERE A SMALL BLACK BOX FULL OF TUBES AND ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY WHICH I HAD DEVISED AND A LONG PADDED TABLE WITH ARM AND LEG CLAMPS (ALSO PADDED FOR COMFORT).

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