Chapter Four
Lady Murasaki bid goodbye to inspector Popil after a dinner they shared. It was obvious that the man found her attractive and decided to win her over any way he could. The woman walked slowly down the streets towards her apartment. She was thinking about Hannibal. She was worried about him, worried that the darkness would finally consume him. She'd lost her beloved husband, now she began to lose another beloved person. Hannibal was slowly pulled towards darkness, and he was doing nothing to stop it. He didn't want it to stop.
"Good evening, Lady Murasaki."
Lady Murasaki snapped out of her musings an came face to face with a blonde-haired girl, around 18 years old. The same age as Hannibal. It took the woman a second to recognize Celeste.
"Good evening, Celeste." Lady Murasaki greeted back politely. She noted the smile on the younger girl's lips. It sent shivers running down her spine, but she didn't let it show. "How have you been?"
"Fine, fine," Celeste replied airily as she fell in step with the woman "I've gone on a small trip to the land of my birth, came back this morning."
"You went to Japan?"
"Yes, to Hiroshima. Have you been there, Lady Murasaki? A beautiful place, devastated by war. Such a shame."
"I was born in Hiroshima."
"Oh really? Were you planning to go back someday?"
Lady Murasaki clenched her fists on the delicate fabric of her dress "Yes, I think I will in the near future."
"How nice. I have to warn you though, the place is a mess. I've came across quite a number of people, who were dying due to the after-radiation illness. Sad."
"Celeste," Lady Murasaki couldn't take it any more "Can I talk to you?"
"I believe we're already doing that, Madame."
"No, I mean about Hannibal." Celeste clenched and unclenched her jaw and forced herself to act normally.
"Of course we can talk about Hannibal." The blonde looked at the woman "Is something wrong with him?"
"Hannibal is in danger." Lady Murasaki discreetly looked around "I don't think I can help him, and the thought saddens me. You, as his friend, are able to do something to help him get out of the danger."
"Hannibal? Danger? I cannot imagine that," Celeste shook her head "What is endangering him?"
"He is. He is dangerous to himself. He wants to do something he shouldn't be doing. Passing judgment over others is not his responsibility!" Lady Murasaki inhaled deeply "Celeste… Help him get out of the darkness."
Celeste stopped walking abruptly. Lady Murasaki also paused and turned to look at he girl. Her blonde hair shadowed the view of her face and Lady Murasaki couldn't read her expression.
"Murasaki-san…" Celeste spoke in Japanese "Do you love Hannibal?"
Silence. A heartbeat. A gentle swish of the wind.
"Yes."
"Then… We have more in common than I would've guessed." It came out as a quiet murmur, barely audible in the wind. Lady Murasaki heard it clearly. Celeste raised her head, hair uncovering her face. The Japanese woman surpassed another shiver as she stared into her eyes; not only the contrasting colors made her want to take a step back, it was the emotion behind them, the unreadable emotion that pierced through Lady Murasaki like a cold, ruthless katana.
"But here is where the similarities end." Celeste bowed, never breaking the eye-contact "Good day to you, Lady Murasaki."
Lady Murasaki watched her back as the young woman walked away, vanishing amongst the crowd. The wind blew past her again. It was much colder than it should be at this time of the year.
-
Hannibal was walking slowly through the field, forming a plan while thinking about Enrikas Dortlich and Zigmas Milko, two Lithuanian men he'd killed recently – two of the people who'd killed and eaten his sister Mischa during the war. There were six men responsible for his sister's death. One of them died during the war, two had been killed by him. That leaves three. Bronys Grentz, who's been living in Canada; Petras Kolnas, or monsieur Kleber, as he named himself, was an easy target; he owned a restaurant in Paris. Hannibal found the last man, Vladis Grutas, recently. Hannibal had taken a trip to check out his house in Porte de Montempoivre. He'd left his motorcycle in the nearby bushes, 400 meters away from the gate. The plan was ready, what Hannibal needed is a bit of time, not too much.
He was thinking about his vendetta, which was coming to an end. He was thinking about Lady Murasaki, about a hot bath in the baths in his uncle's, Count Lecter's house, the oranges floating in the water. The oranges changed, their color lightened, and oranges became peaches. This made him think about Celeste. Hannibal could almost smell the soft scent of peaches around him. A strange vision occurred in his mind; Lady Murasaki putting her hand on his chest, in the heart area, just like she's been doing since he was 13. Her beautiful pale skin took a darker shade, her right eye changed to light blue and hair became golden. Celeste threw her arms around him, burying her head in his shoulder. She backed away and became Lady Murasaki once again. "Promise me," she whispered, kissing him on the lips "Promise me, Hannibal."
But he'd already made a promise to Mischa. Lady Murasaki was replaced by Celeste. She was holding the book, 'Elements', close to her chest. She paused before bidding him good bye, her eyes traveling down to his lips. It lasted two seconds, not more. She turned and melted into the darkness.
Hannibal heard a car coming closer. He stopped and faced the oncoming vehicle, raising his hand in question for a lift. The car, a black Jaguar, slowed down and came to a stop before him. The window rolled down and Hannibal was greeted by the familiar sight of two-colored eyes and a friendly smile.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Celeste opened the door and let Hannibal enter "What are you doing here at this hour, Hannibal?"
He sat down on the passenger's seat and closed the door. "Taking a walk."
"A walk," she repeated as the car began to speed up slowly "Let me guess. You just wanted to see the pretty house up the Porte de Montempoivre, hoping to catch up for a nice hot tea with the owner."
Hannibal stared at her profile intently. The small smile was still on her lips, but her face was blank. "How did you know?"
"Vladis Grutas is a war criminal that's now a sex trafficker. He's a well-known figure among those who wish to do the same."
"Those who you punish?"
Hands clenched on the steering wheel. "Only when I catch them red-handed. What a way to change the topic! Honestly, Hannibal, I'm not that easily fooled."
Hannibal said nothing to that. They continued to ride in silence until Celeste reached the area with more buildings around.
"Where can I drop you off? I'm not sure if I know where you live, so you need to give me the directions."
"Do you know where rue de Paradis is?"
"You live on rue de Paradis?"
"No. I need to get to Gabrielle Instruments Co."
Celeste bit her lip in thought. "Gabrielle Instruments Co. Don't those guys help you when you're moving or something?"
"Yes. I need to send a big package somewhere." Celeste sent him a brief glance "A piano, not a bomb."
"Of course. A bomb would be too rude, wouldn't it? Yes, definitely too bold for you."
Hannibal smiled in amusement. Celeste saw in the corner of her eye and let her own lips curl upwards a bit. After a few minutes of riding in silence, Celeste turned left and stopped the car in front of a building with the large sign saying 'Gabrielle Instruments Co.'
"We're here." She announced uselessly. The sign reflected in Hannibal's eyes.
"Thank you, Celeste," he made a motion to grab the handle, when he felt her hand on his shoulder. He stopped and turned his head to look at her, like an owl.
"Hannibal," Celeste began "I talked to Lady Murasaki."
That caught him off guard, but he didn't let it show. He merely raised his eyebrow, indicating her to continue.
"She said… She told me about the danger you're in. She asked me to talk you out of it, but I thought… I thought, how could I do that? You didn't listen to her, even Lady Murasaki… She wasn't able to convince you not to end what you've started… Who am I to make you change the road you're on?" Celeste's voice broke ever so slightly, as if she was about to break down any second now. She didn't. Her eyes, although shone strangely, were dry. "But then I thought… That you aren't doing this for nothing. And that, no matter how many people stand in your way, I will be at your side. All the way to the end. I promise."
Celeste took her hand from his shoulder and put both hands on the steering wheel. Her face was flushed a bit and her eyes were still shining with that strange light, but she kept her gaze straight.
"Should I wait here for you until you're done?" the girl asked in a neutral voice "You might be needing a lift, since you've left your bike God knows where."
"No, I'll be fine. Thanks."
"Well then," she nodded her head, not looking at him "Be careful."
"Goodnight." Hannibal exited her car and made his way towards the entrance of Gabrielle Instruments Co. He didn't look back, not even once.
Celeste waited until she heard the main door closing with a gentle slam. She closed her eyes and took in a large breath. She exhaled through her nose and opened her eyes again. She started the engine and slowly backed out of rue de Paradis, her mind oddly empty.
