Autor fills it again, exhausting the tea supply. "I'm flattered," he starts, and he is, "but if I were smart, I would still avoid you. If I were smart, I'd still be afraid of you."

He bows at the waist, holding the thermos and teacup his side. "Surely you won't hold my wanting to be smart against me. After all, you like seeing what people do, and this is what I choose," he says. "Good day, Dr. Lecter."