Hmm, the weather which makes me sit at home, leaves no choice, but to
write. Again thanks for those who reviewed – pol, lecterlove, Clariz. I'll
try not to disappoint you this time.
Now this chapter was supposed to be a bit longer, but I just couldn't – my
computer also deserves rest.
Disclaimer applies /sad grin/.
Chapter 3. Q&A.
It was four o'clock and Clarice was still in the train. Everything would be allright, but Clarice missed her daughter. She couldn't think of anyone or anything, even Hannibal Lecter, who seemed to arrive in Nice today. Well, actually he might be very suriprised right now...
Angie. Where was she last night?
Felix called her in the morning and told about the quarrel. When he described the 'face of nice old gentleman' after Angie's remark about 'the important meeting', Clarice gave a small laugh. It's time to tell her some people don't like interfering in their lives.
Angie was all she had. "Children should be spoilt – only then they become true highway robbers!" she thought. Clarice let Angie do whatever she wanted – except of some certain things like not giving promises when Angie knew she wouldn't accomplish them.
"She's so pretty now... this might end not in a right way." Sometimes Clarice wished Angie's father was there. Just to see how his daughter grows, sometimes to advise, sometimes to help, sometimes to protect her. And – to protect Clarice from her own fears, sleepless nights, loneliness. But – it was her own choice. She lives a public life. In a crowded place. This life is not for him.
Two o'clock in Venice – and this is the time when Clarice arrives, he thought. But he is not at the station – he is on the beach. He was following Angie – at eleven she fled from school, went to the supermarket, bought some buns and a green bottle of chemicals with a slight taste of lemon – a drink, called lemonade. Then she went to a beach. He was sure she knew she was followed by.
She took the book outside her funny bag, unpacked the buns and started reading, He was curious of what this Creature is reading and came closer.
"Curiosity is not a sin, but it's a great swinishness," she said.
"How did you know I was here?" Hannibal was surprised.
"What do you want?" she replied.
"Tsk, tsk. Let me meet the one who taught you the manners. I should have a serious talk with that man."
"He died," said the Creature. "I exchange information. I trade it for my own needs. It's useless to ask me giving nothing in return."
"Who died? Your father?"
"I'm not saying anything more," she replied. They both remained silent a little. Then she offered him to sit, showing the place on the rug, still not saying a word. He sat near her and asked:
"Aren't you afraid of me? Well, I believe girl spending the night outside of her home isn't afraid of all the crime around, but you should keep up to some rules..."
"I'm sorry to interrupt you. But all the formality stinks. You use three and a half words instead of one. If I were afraid of you I'd call the police at once."
"And what would they charge me with, umm?"
"I don't know," he couldn't see her eyes, but her voice softened a little. "But I strongly believe somebody would recognize your face, which is certainly put in FBI wanted list. If it's not a Most Wanted List," she added after thinking a bit. "Wanna eat?"
"I don't eat buns, thank you." he replied.
"Where are your manners now?" she grinned. "One should thank for an offer first, and only then admit in something. And you could at least think out an unreal allergy to something before refusing."
Hannibal was confused. He considered himself an expert in manners, but this little Creature got him. Maybe he's getting too old to notice such things before saying something...
"You're not." Angie read his thoughts. "You're just not concentrating. Sometimes a man needs home. Just to relax, to forget formalities, to feel happy in spite of all in the world. You haven't had a home for a long time, almost for all of your life. That's why you're sitting here."
"And you're sitting here because you have no friends to go out with," he replied. "Boys want your sexuality, because you look older for an inexperienced eye. Girls are envying you. You know what you look like to me? You look like a little beast, easily becoming brutalized by every word or even unspoken intention which does not suit you.You rely more on your senses that on your mind. But you are much weaker than you want to seem. Someday somebody will come and break your life into pieces, and you wouldn't be able to do anything about it."
"Guess you are that 'somebody'," she wasn't smiling, when she said: "nd if I'm a little beast, my father was a big one I suppose."
"Who was your father?"
"As I've already said, I do not exchange THAT kind of information without a trade," she said. Quid pro quo, if you know Latin."
Hannibal was shocked. He returned to the past just for the moment. He had offered the same to Clarice, and now her child is offering the game to him. How much does she know about me, he thought. She felt his hesistation and for an instant put her palm over his: "There's nothing to be afraid of. Don't you think I'm telling somebody's secrets?"
"And what secrets do you want me to unveil for you, little girl?"
"Angie, I suppose, sounds better. What's your name?"
"Hadrian," he didn't hesistate. Who knows, this child might go to police if she decides it is the right thing to do...
"Emmm... So your name begins with letter "H". You really should think out a different nam, this one sounds too soft for you. Mine's Angel."
"Angel?" He grinned. "Dead Angel?"
"Simply Angel. But I prefer people calling me Angie. They can't get used to my T-shirt inscriprions. You've come to meet with my mother, don't you?"
"Yes. Who's your father?"
"How am I supposed to know?" she replied causticly. "At that moment I had no eyes to see who he was. My mother isn't married, if that's what you wanna know. Are you an old pal of hers?"
"Yes, something like that." An old pal – what a crazy expression. "But it was long ago, you weren't born that time, when she was an FBI agent."
"WHAT? Who? My mother? I can't believe it!" she seemed like losing her mind.
"You didn't know?"
"I didn't. Mum doesn't like to speak 'bout her past." Her face was becoming dangerously pale.
"Are you all right?" Hannibal became worried. Who was he to interfere in Clarice's and Angie's life?
"I'm OK. Just thinking about a serious talk... with no result again." She sighed. "nd who are you? A criminal, who she caught? You're out of prison and came to kill her for that?"
He didn't know what to say, because he realised the mistake he did. Suddenly she gave him a wink: "This is an awkward situation. One of our cell phones should ring to get us through this, umm?"
Her cell phone rang.
Chapter 3. Q&A.
It was four o'clock and Clarice was still in the train. Everything would be allright, but Clarice missed her daughter. She couldn't think of anyone or anything, even Hannibal Lecter, who seemed to arrive in Nice today. Well, actually he might be very suriprised right now...
Angie. Where was she last night?
Felix called her in the morning and told about the quarrel. When he described the 'face of nice old gentleman' after Angie's remark about 'the important meeting', Clarice gave a small laugh. It's time to tell her some people don't like interfering in their lives.
Angie was all she had. "Children should be spoilt – only then they become true highway robbers!" she thought. Clarice let Angie do whatever she wanted – except of some certain things like not giving promises when Angie knew she wouldn't accomplish them.
"She's so pretty now... this might end not in a right way." Sometimes Clarice wished Angie's father was there. Just to see how his daughter grows, sometimes to advise, sometimes to help, sometimes to protect her. And – to protect Clarice from her own fears, sleepless nights, loneliness. But – it was her own choice. She lives a public life. In a crowded place. This life is not for him.
Two o'clock in Venice – and this is the time when Clarice arrives, he thought. But he is not at the station – he is on the beach. He was following Angie – at eleven she fled from school, went to the supermarket, bought some buns and a green bottle of chemicals with a slight taste of lemon – a drink, called lemonade. Then she went to a beach. He was sure she knew she was followed by.
She took the book outside her funny bag, unpacked the buns and started reading, He was curious of what this Creature is reading and came closer.
"Curiosity is not a sin, but it's a great swinishness," she said.
"How did you know I was here?" Hannibal was surprised.
"What do you want?" she replied.
"Tsk, tsk. Let me meet the one who taught you the manners. I should have a serious talk with that man."
"He died," said the Creature. "I exchange information. I trade it for my own needs. It's useless to ask me giving nothing in return."
"Who died? Your father?"
"I'm not saying anything more," she replied. They both remained silent a little. Then she offered him to sit, showing the place on the rug, still not saying a word. He sat near her and asked:
"Aren't you afraid of me? Well, I believe girl spending the night outside of her home isn't afraid of all the crime around, but you should keep up to some rules..."
"I'm sorry to interrupt you. But all the formality stinks. You use three and a half words instead of one. If I were afraid of you I'd call the police at once."
"And what would they charge me with, umm?"
"I don't know," he couldn't see her eyes, but her voice softened a little. "But I strongly believe somebody would recognize your face, which is certainly put in FBI wanted list. If it's not a Most Wanted List," she added after thinking a bit. "Wanna eat?"
"I don't eat buns, thank you." he replied.
"Where are your manners now?" she grinned. "One should thank for an offer first, and only then admit in something. And you could at least think out an unreal allergy to something before refusing."
Hannibal was confused. He considered himself an expert in manners, but this little Creature got him. Maybe he's getting too old to notice such things before saying something...
"You're not." Angie read his thoughts. "You're just not concentrating. Sometimes a man needs home. Just to relax, to forget formalities, to feel happy in spite of all in the world. You haven't had a home for a long time, almost for all of your life. That's why you're sitting here."
"And you're sitting here because you have no friends to go out with," he replied. "Boys want your sexuality, because you look older for an inexperienced eye. Girls are envying you. You know what you look like to me? You look like a little beast, easily becoming brutalized by every word or even unspoken intention which does not suit you.You rely more on your senses that on your mind. But you are much weaker than you want to seem. Someday somebody will come and break your life into pieces, and you wouldn't be able to do anything about it."
"Guess you are that 'somebody'," she wasn't smiling, when she said: "nd if I'm a little beast, my father was a big one I suppose."
"Who was your father?"
"As I've already said, I do not exchange THAT kind of information without a trade," she said. Quid pro quo, if you know Latin."
Hannibal was shocked. He returned to the past just for the moment. He had offered the same to Clarice, and now her child is offering the game to him. How much does she know about me, he thought. She felt his hesistation and for an instant put her palm over his: "There's nothing to be afraid of. Don't you think I'm telling somebody's secrets?"
"And what secrets do you want me to unveil for you, little girl?"
"Angie, I suppose, sounds better. What's your name?"
"Hadrian," he didn't hesistate. Who knows, this child might go to police if she decides it is the right thing to do...
"Emmm... So your name begins with letter "H". You really should think out a different nam, this one sounds too soft for you. Mine's Angel."
"Angel?" He grinned. "Dead Angel?"
"Simply Angel. But I prefer people calling me Angie. They can't get used to my T-shirt inscriprions. You've come to meet with my mother, don't you?"
"Yes. Who's your father?"
"How am I supposed to know?" she replied causticly. "At that moment I had no eyes to see who he was. My mother isn't married, if that's what you wanna know. Are you an old pal of hers?"
"Yes, something like that." An old pal – what a crazy expression. "But it was long ago, you weren't born that time, when she was an FBI agent."
"WHAT? Who? My mother? I can't believe it!" she seemed like losing her mind.
"You didn't know?"
"I didn't. Mum doesn't like to speak 'bout her past." Her face was becoming dangerously pale.
"Are you all right?" Hannibal became worried. Who was he to interfere in Clarice's and Angie's life?
"I'm OK. Just thinking about a serious talk... with no result again." She sighed. "nd who are you? A criminal, who she caught? You're out of prison and came to kill her for that?"
He didn't know what to say, because he realised the mistake he did. Suddenly she gave him a wink: "This is an awkward situation. One of our cell phones should ring to get us through this, umm?"
Her cell phone rang.