Evening, outside

[cook_the_rude]

[[OOM: When he last encountered Ganymede in the bar, Hannibal Lecter seems to have decided that he needed a few days off, so he went to one of Ganymede's less often used houses with him, in Essaouira. Warning for canon-typical deviousness and amorality.]]

Sunset finds Dr. Hannibal Lecter outside, with an open camp fire and a tajine sitting on its metal tripod over the flames; at a small wheeled kitchen cart on which he prepares his ingredients before adding them to the pot, one by one.

To judge from the wrapping and bags, the ingredients came from a North African market, rather than the bar. As the writing is in Arabic, it's not always clear what the vegetables, spices and meats are.

He has a bottle of red wine and a half-empty glass at hand while he works. The label declares the wine to be Algerian, and organic. There are more glasses on the cart.-

Comments

[road_to_calvary]

Valjean has been walking for a long time. He has thought many thoughts, none of them happy. He does not understand what he learned this evening, and knows he has no right to ask for more information. It is better if he would stop thinking about it entirely - but to hear such a thing, to contemplate what it says about the nature of man, to consider how far someone may wander from God...no, he cannot simply ignore it in his own mind.

He is not expecting to come across the source of the problem, but such is the way of this place. He has been walking for three hours or so, but his stride is strong as ever as it takes him past where Dr Lecter is cooking. He does not hesitate in stopping, however, and tips his hat politely.

'Monsieur l'docteur.'

[cook_the_rude]

"Good evening, Monsieur Valjean," Dr. Lecter says, looking up from the meat he is cutting. "Would you like a glass of wine?"

[road_to_calvary]

'No, thank you.'

He is about to add that he would like to be called Fauchelevent, but then considers that if he draws attention to the name, it might make the man aware of something he is trying to hide.

Valjean does not care about himself, but he is not about to hand anyone anything that could harm Cosette.

'I would like to speak with you though, if you have no objection.'

[cook_the_rude]

"Of course," Dr. Lecter says, slicing a carrot.

[road_to_calvary]

Valjean sets his hands easily behind his back.

'I was wondering,' he says, in a tone no different to his usual, 'if you remembered some time ago. There was some kind of magic curse going around, and you appeared here younger than you are now.'

That is what has been troubling him. That one conversation.

[cook_the_rude]

"Yes, I do," Dr. Lecter says. "I thought I was seventeen again, and hadn't been living in France very long yet."

[road_to_calvary]

He nods.

'Yes. If I may ask - what happened to your uncle, and his partner? Were they able to live unbothered?'

[cook_the_rude]

"Apart from the usual period typical bother," Dr. Lecter says, "yes, that was the case. And what bother there was, got dealt with in appropriate ways. Perhaps they were lucky to live in France, and not in the less enlightened middle part of the USA."

[road_to_calvary]

'Perhaps.'

Is it hard for him to think of France as particularly enlightened, but maybe things change. The answer is odd, however. But then, he does not know what he was expecting.

'You seemed very perturbed by it, at age seventeen.'

[cook_the_rude]

"I was," Dr. Lecter says. "Bad things had happened before; I didn't want them to happen again."

[road_to_calvary]

'But you saw that they didn't? That your uncle and his partner could live happily?'

If so, he understands even less than he thought he did.

[cook_the_rude]

"If they stayed discreet, ignored the snickers, and didn't rock the boat?" Dr. Lecter says. "Yes, you could ball it that. By my time, of course, things are very much advanced, at least in the civilised parts of the world. A few decades made a world of difference."

Beat.

"Why do you take an interest? You don't seem judgemental of them at all."

He looks at Valjean, one eyebrow cocked.

[road_to_calvary]

He is not sure if that eyebrow is meant to insinuate anything, and does not much care if it does.

'It is not my place to judge anyone, monsieur,' he murmurs, calmly.

'That is the purview of God. I merely found myself curious as to what happened to you at that time. You did not seem content with the world.'

[guppy_sandhu]

Well at least he's not in the kitchen.

"You really think it's appropriate to be cooking around here?" Guppy asks, from a suitable distance.

[cook_the_rude]

"Of course," Dr. Lecter says. "I very much like cooking, and brought back this authentic tajine pot from Morocco. Hello, Guppy."

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy sighs.

"Still in denial, then. What meat is that?"

[cook_the_rude]

"Would you like to try some of the tajine when it's finished?" Dr. Lecter asks, with a friendly smile.

[guppy_sandhu]

"No thank you." Guppy says. "My faith requires me to eat only meat that is humanely slaughtered."

Beat.

"You actually enjoy this, don't you?"

[cook_the_rude]

"Cooking?" Dr. Lecter says. "Very much. But you know that."

[guppy_sandhu]

"No." Guppy says. "The game you're playing where you know that we know what you are but can't prove it."

[cook_the_rude]

"You know who I am," Dr. Lecter says, mildly. "Claiming I'm a what is a bit rude, don't you think?"

[guppy_sandhu]

"Oddly enough it's being a doctor that gets you a special title, not being a cannibal." Guppy says. "So cannibal really is rather a 'what' rather than a who. It doesn't define you, you could stop being one, but you'd have to admit it first."

Beat.

"Look, Lecter, if there's anywhere on this universe where you could be socially accepted as a cannibal, this is it. We're used to murderers, and psychopaths, and assassins, but you have to be honest about it so people know where they stand."

[cook_the_rude]

"I don't have to be anything," Dr. Lecter says, shaking his head. "You are quite bold, being so rude out here alone with me -- if what you think is true, that is."

[guppy_sandhu]

"I already helped to expose you and got you banned from seeing patients." Guppy says. "So I'm already in danger from you, and if you're back, you could get me at any time. It's better for both of us that I throw you the best olive branch that I can offer."

[cook_the_rude]

"Which is?" Dr. Lecter enquires.