The 120 Days of Sodom (67 page)

    The torturing was arranged for the orgy hour; as the friends sat at dessert, word was brought to them that everything was in readiness, they descended and found the cellars agreeably festooned and very properly furnished. Constance lay upon a kind of mausoleum, the four children decorated its corners. As their asses were still in excellent condition, Messieurs were able to take considerable pleasure in molesting them; then at last the heavier work was begun: while embuggering Giton, Curval himself opened Constance's belly and tore out the fruit, already well-ripened and clearly of the masculine sex; then the society continued, inflicting tortures upon those five victims. Their sufferings were long, cruel, and various.

    Upon THE 1ST DAY OF MARCH, remarking that the snows have not yet melted, Messieurs decide to dispatch the rest of the subjects one by one. Messieurs devise new arrangements whereby to keep their bedchambers staffed, and agree to give a green ribbon to everyone whom they propose to take back with them to France; the green favor is bestowed, however, upon condition the recipient is willing to lend a hand with the destruction of the other victims. Nothing is said to the six women in the kitchen; Messieurs decide to do away with the three scullery maids, who are well worth toying over, but to spare the cooks, because of their considerable talents. And so a list is drawn up; 'tis found that, to date, the following creatures had already been sacrificed:

    Wives: Aline, Adelaide, and Constance: 3

    Sultanas: Augustine, Michette, Rosette, and Zelmire: 4

    Bardashes: Giton and Narcisse: 2

    Fuckers: one subaltern: 1

    Total: 10

    The new menages are arranged:

    The Duc takes unto himself, or under his protection: Hercule, Duclos, one cook: 4

    Curval takes: Bum-Cleaver, Champville, one cook: 4

    Durcet takes: Invictus, Martaine, one cook: 4

    And the Bishop: Antinoьs, Desgranges, Julie: 4

    Total: 16

    Messieurs decide that, upon a given signal, and with the aid of the four fuckers and the four storytellers, but not the cooks whom they do not wish to employ for these purposes, they will seize all the others, making use of the most treacherous possible means and when their victims least expect it; they will lay hands upon all the others, I say, save for the three scullions, who will not be seized until later on; it is further decided that the upstairs chambers will be converted into four prisons, that the three subaltern fuckers, manacled, will be lodged in the strongest of these prisons; Fanny, Colombe, Sophie, and Hebe in the second; Celadon, Zelamir, Cupidon, Zephyr, Adonis, and Hyacinthe in the third; and the four elders in the fourth; that one subject will be dispatched every day; and that when the hour arrives to arrest the three scullions, they will be locked into whichever of the prison happens to be empty.

    These agreements once reached, Messieurs appoint each storyteller the warden of one prison. And whenever they please, Messieurs will amuse themselves with these victims, either in their prison or in one of the larger rooms, or in their Lordships' bedchambers, depending upon Messieurs' individual preference. And so, as we have just indicated, one subject is dispatched daily, in the following order:

    On the 1st of March: Fanchon.

    On the 2nd: Louison.

    On the 3rd: Therиse.

    On the 4th: Marie.

    On the 5th: Fanny.

    On the 6th and the 7th: Sophie and Celadon together, for they are lovers, and they perish nailed one to the other, as we have hitherto explained.

    On the 8th: one subaltern fucker.

    On the 9th: Hebe.

    On the 10th: another subaltern fucker.

    On the 11th: Colombe.

    On the 12th: the last of the subaltern fuckers.

    On the 13th: Zelamir.

    On the 14th: Cupidon.

    On the 15th: Zephyr.

    On the 16th: Adonis.

    On the 17th: Hyacinthe.

    On the morning of the 18th, Messieurs and their cohorts seize the three scullions, lock them in the prison formerly occupied by the elders, and dispatch one upon that day.

    A second upon the 19th.

    And the last upon the 20th.

    Total: 20.

    The following recapitulation lists the inhabitants of the Chвteau of Silling during that memorable winter:

    Masters: 4

    Elders: 4

    Kitchen staff: 6

    Storytellers: 4

    Fuckers: 8

    Little boys: 8

    Wives: 4

    Little girls: 8

    Total: 46

    Whereof thirty were immolated and sixteen returned to Paris.

    

    Massacred prior to the 1st of March, in the course of the orgies: 10

    Massacred after the 1st of March: 20

    Survived and came back: 16

    Total: 46

    With what regards the tortures and deaths of the last twenty subjects, and life such as it was in the household until the day of departure, you will give details at your leisure and where you see fit, you will say, first of all, that thirteen of the sixteen survivors (three of whom were cooks) took all their meals together; sprinkle in whatever tortures you like.

    

    NOTES

    

    Under no circumstances deviate from this plan, everything has been worked out, the entirety several times re-examined with the greatest care and thoroughness.

    Detail the departure. And throughout the whole, introduce a quantity of moral dissertation and diatribe, above all at the suppers.

    When you produce the final version, keep a notebook; in it you will place the names of all the principal characters and the names of all those who play important roles, such as they who have several passions and who will appear several times in the romance, as, for example, the hell libertine; leave a wide margin beside their names and, as you recopy, fill it with everything you come across that has any bearing upon them; this note is very essential, it is the sole way to keep your work clear of obscurities and to avoid repetitions.

    Edulcorate Part The First, it is much too strong; things develop too rapidly and too far in it, it cannot possibly be too soft, mild, feeble, subdued. Above all, never have the four friends do anything until it has first been recounted. You have not been sufficiently scrupulous in that connection.

    In Part The First, say that the man who mouth-fucks the little girl prostituted by her father is the same man, of whom she has already spoken, who fucks with a dirty prick.

    Do not forget to place somewhere in December the scene of the little girls serving supper, squirting liqueurs from their asses into Messieurs' glasses; you announced such a scene but failed to include it in the plan.

    

    - By means of a hollow tube, a mouse is introduced into her cunt, the tube is withdrawn, the cunt sewn up, and the animal, unable to get out, devours her entrails.

    - She is made to swallow a snake which in similar wise feeds upon her entrails.

    

    ADDENDA

    

    In general, describe Curval and the Duc as two hot-blooded and imperious scoundrels, 'tis thus you conceived them in the plan and in Part The First, and figure the Bishop as a cool, reasoning and tough-minded villain. As for Durcet, he must be mischievous, a teaser, false, traitorous, perfidious. In accordance with which, have them do everything that conforms with such characters.

    Carefully recapitulate all the names and the qualities of all the personages your storytellers mention; this to avoid repetition.

    Upon one page in your notebook of characters draw the plan of the chвteau, room by room, and in the blank space next to this page, itemize all the things done in each room.

    This entire great roll was begun the 22nd of October, 1785, and finished in thirty-seven days.

    

    I have been too explicit, not sufficiently reticent, about the chapel activities at the beginning; must not elaborate upon them until after the stories in which they are mentioned.

    Said too much about active and passive sodomy; conceal that until the stories have discussed it.

    I was wrong to have made Duclos react strongly to the death of her sister; that doesn't sort with the rest of her character; change it.

    If I said Aline was a virgin upon arrival at the chвteau, that was an error: she isn't, and could not be. The Bishop has depucelated her in every sector.

    And not having been able to reread all this, there must be a swarm of other mistakes.

    When later I put the text in final order, I must be particularly careful to have a notebook beside me at all times; I'll have to put down very exact mention of each happening and each portrait as I write it; otherwise, I'll get horribly confused because of the multitude of characters.

    For the Second Part, begin with the assumption Augustine and Zephyr are already sleeping in the Duc's bedchamber in the First Part; likewise Adonis and Zelmire in Curval's, Hyacinthe and Fanny in Durcet's, Celadon and Sophie in the Bishop's, even though none of them has been deflowered yet. * As Sade notes, the speed with which he wrote the final draft of The 120 Days, and because he was unable to reread and correct his manuscript, resulted in a number of minor discrepancies in dates, characters, and situations, which the careful reader will doubtless discover. None the less, given the large cast of characters, and the complexity of rules and procedures, his accuracy of detail is remarkable. -Tr.