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VIEWING THE TAPE

Clarice took the tape and hurried into the family room. She opened the cabinet and after moving a few items about, discovered the converter Hannibal spoke of. Placing the tape within the carrier, Clarice slipped it into the VCR.

Sitting on the sofa, Clarice kicked off her shoes, bent her legs beneath her and reached for the remote.

Pressing the remote to turn on the television, Clarice then changed the source to activate the VCR. She pressed play and held her breath for a moment.

Okay, H…Let's see what devious little suggestions you tucked into this moron's tiny brain.

From the view of Bloom sitting across from Hannibal, Bloom being the obvious focus, Clarice speculated the camera had been placed just behind Hannibal, shooting over his shoulder. The sound quality, just from the first few words was so exceptional it was obvious Hannibal had included an external microphone rather than go with the one attached to the camera.

So, you must have mounted a fiber optic camera on the finial of that floor lamp just behind your desk. Did you hang the microphone from the decorative pull…I'll bet you did you fucking brilliant man!

Clarice watched and listened with breathless anticipation.

Hannibal's hands were folded loosely on his desk. The coin was just in front of him in plain view of Bloom whose eyes continually shifted to the coin. Hannibal spoke very softly, "Alan…may I call you Alan?"

"Certainly Doctor Lecter, may I call you, Hannibal?"

Hannibal picked up the coin and began to roll it again over his knuckles and pass it under his palm with his thumb. "Yes, I invite you to do so, of course. Now that we have finished the interview, may we speak as colleagues, Alan?"

Bloom was still transfixed on the object. His voice was normal in all respects save one. He spoke very softly, his normal confidence replaced. He sounded somewhat distracted, "I'd enjoy that…I've always wanted your opinion, wanted to share experiences with you."

"And we shall see this conversation as being beyond our normal interaction, yes? Separate and distinct, therefore you may be totally honest without fear of reprisal. You will have no memory of our conversation therefore you have no fear of me."

Bloom nodded his head as he stared forward at the coin. "It really is a pity you're so damaged. You might have had an important career."

Hannibal's voice was so soothing Clarice was surprised. It was not a tone of voice she would have connected to Hannibal. The power of his presence was somehow extracted from it.

Christ, H you've got this guy eating out of your hand. Look at that blank expression on Bloom's face…Remind me to ask you if you've ever hypnotized me…

Clarice watched intently as Hannibal began to probe, just scratching at the surface of Bloom's inadequacies.

"And that is what is most important is it not…to have a storied career? To be recognized for one's talent?"

Bloom nodded aggressively, "Yes. It is most important."

Hannibal halted the coin and held it up in front of his face, Bloom's attention shifted as his eyes followed the movement of the coin, "It is more important than family."

Bloom nodded his agreement, "Yes."

Clarice was mesmerized by the process. Hannibal's voice was almost a monotone, very little of his usual speech patterns were present. He seemed to pace his sentence structure to match Bloom's breathing. She noticed Hannibal pausing at odd moments in the middle of sentences and tied it to the pattern of normal respiration.

He's under so deep now you could tap dance on his chest and it wouldn't wake him up, H.

Clarice watched the tape more than impressed by her husband's abilities but more than a little frightened. She was aware that her husband's sadistic tendencies might cause Hannibal to seek retribution for the indignities suffered at Bloom's hand. She wondered if there would be a clue on this tape that would reveal that plan.

On tape, Hannibal spoke softly, his tone encouraging, "The acknowledgement of your abilities is much more important than any individual. Much more important than I am wouldn't you say?"

Bloom's eyes lit up, "Yes, much more important than any individual. Certainly it is much more important than you or I."

Nodding Hannibal concurred as he spun the coin on the desk in front of Bloom, "Yes, much more important than you or I. Although I am undeserving, I have had a much more impressive and flamboyant career wouldn't you say, Alan?"

"Yes. Your opinion is sought much more than mine."

Hannibal set down the coin and sought Bloom's eyes, "I don't deserve that attention."

Bloom stared back blankly, unafraid, "No, you don't deserve the attention."

Obviously pleased with the answers to his questions, Hannibal probed further, his eyes focused and unblinking as he assessed Bloom's level of hypnosis by the dilation of his pupils and his relaxed respirations. He breathed deeply, gone was the scent of fear. Bloom was indeed in a very suggestible state of mind.

Hannibal commiserated, "I've probably received more opportunities for publication because of my so called crimes than my actual academic or professional accomplishments."

Bloom leaned forward in his chair and folded one leg over the other as if having a relaxed conversation with a friend, "Yes, your crimes gave you instant name recognition and we have a celebrity driven society. You are a celebrity and are valued. I am not so my value is diminished."

"And we both know that to be unfair as you are a scholar deserving of such recognition. It may be that I have garnered attention that rightfully should have been yours. You should be the celebrity, not I."

"Yes, I've often thought that."

"People seek my opinion because it's chic to reference me in a paper or to use my input on a thesis. I don't deserve that attention. It angers you to think that I receive the respect that is due you. You are in my shadow and you deserve more. We must create a plan that provides you with the respect that you have worked so hard to earn. You deserve far better treatment. You must demand…no you must command the attention."

"Yes. I believe that, other than the FBI seeking my opinions, I have gone somewhat unnoticed and I deserve better."

"And that has hurt you, has it not?"

"It is quite painful."

"It is an itch in the back of your mind…it is the tickle in the back of your throat. It is a constant irritant."

"Yes."

"But the itch within the oyster becomes the pearl. It affects the way you perceive yourself?"

"Yes. I feel inadequate compared to you."

Hannibal leaned forward and tapped the coin, "And that is quite bitter on your palate. It is difficult to ingest."

"Yes…I have no way to alter that perception. You are seen as cured now. You have become well thought of again. You have gained back the good will you had lost during your incarceration. Now the FBI seeks your opinion again. I am left…"

"You are left wanting more…deserving more."

Bloom's eyes followed Hannibal's hands as he began to manipulate the coin across his hand. Bloom's voice was dejected, "I do deserve more but they will always turn to you instead of me."

Hannibal, still passing the coin over his knuckles allowed his voice to animate, "That is true but…If I were to fall from grace…"

Staring forward at the coin, Bloom became excited, "Yes. Yes… I had considered that."

Whispering as if sharing a secret Hannibal leaned closer, "But all of this would have to be very public. It would have to be widely seen to be believed."

Disappointed at his thought, Bloom responded quietly, "Yes, but I don't believe you are stupid enough to kill again."

Hannibal corrected the man as he flipped the coin a knuckle at a time across his hand, "But I have killed again, Alan. Several times, in each case I was defending myself, thus I haven't been charged, though I have killed nonetheless."

As if it were a revelation, Bloom answered excitedly, "No matter what the circumstances, if you have killed again you will continue to kill."

"It would seem likely. I must be stopped."

"You must be stopped."

"Yes at any and all cost. Only you have the courage to stop me. I have the rest of them fooled."

"Yes…you have the rest of them fooled."

"A public fall from grace, orchestrated by you would go a long way to providing you with the attention and the respect you so richly deserve. If you were the person who expedited that fall, if you uncovered the eyes of the world, you would be heralded yes? You would be the hero, the savior. You said earlier that it is an idea you have considered…In what way?"

"If you were to be determined to be an unfit father…If I removed the boy from your influence he might grow up normally. But…"

"But? You cannot hesitate. You cannot afford to be unsure of my fitness. Do you believe I may be a good father? Do you believe I will love my child? That I love my wife?"

"Do you love them?"

"I love them with a depth of feeling I had not considered possible. I love them more than my own life though you will ignore that comment. As a matter of fact, you should believe down to the very core of your being that I do not have love. That I am incapable of either giving or receiving love, I am Monster…not Man. You truly believe that."

"Yes, I do believe that."

"You believe me to be psychotic."

"Yes, you are abnormal. Normal people do not kill and eat other people."

"In some cultures that is precisely what they do but you do not find it to be acceptable behavior."

"No."

"And you believe I will continue?"

"Yes, I believe you are brilliant and very, very careful but I do believe you will continue."

"As an educator and a physician, you are a mandatory reporter."

"Yes, I am."

"It is your duty to attempt to either have me committed or to take my child from me."

"Yes."

"But you fear I will not allow that. You fear that if you move to remove the child from Clarice, that I may kill you to avoid that. You fear that I will not allow my wife to suffer one moment's distress. All of these things are true. Alan, that child must never leave my wife's side. You must believe down to your very core that I will strike down any man that attempts to do her injury. Do you believe me when I say that I will kill to spare her one moment's harm and to secure her place as the mother of my child?"

"I believe that…yes. That's why I am unsure."

"It would be safer for all concerned if you moved to remove me from the family unit."

"I did consider that as well."

"Where would you bring me?"

"I could have you committed. There are prisons now that could house you quite effectively."

"Do you think I would submit? Do you believe I would voluntarily commit myself?"

"No you most certainly wouldn't."

"The State of Maryland has very strict guidelines for involuntary commitment. You would need to file a petition for emergency evaluation with the court."

"Yes, I have the paperwork in my office."

"You need the signatures of either two doctors or a doctor and a psychologist confirming a diagnosis of mental illness. I must also be proven to be a threat to myself or the public at large."

"There is a doctor in my practice who would be willing to support my petition."

"Another friend of Freddie's no doubt?"

"He went to school with Doctor Chilton…yes, they were friends."

"If the court approves your petition the police department would be dispatched in order to take me into custody."

"Yes. The police would be involved immediately."

"If they were to come to my home I would be most unhappy. I would not want to be taken into custody in front of my wife. Not to mention, if it were done quietly, no one would be aware of your heroics. You would remain unheralded."

"That is true but what choice do I have? There's no way to predict where you'll be at any given time."

"You would require a very public situation where you could take me into some level of secure custody."

"Yes…that might work."

"I could provide you with a suitable place to apprehend me. You would have to make me aware of the status of your petition with the court. Would you feel comfortable informing Will Graham?"

"Yes, I'll tell Will Graham."

"Young Mr. Graham will pass the information along to me and we will come up with a suitable time and place that I might be taken into custody publicly. You must also arrange to be there and there must be cameras present to document your bravery and your total and full commitment to this course of action. You must be in charge of the apprehension and the physical transfer to be certain I am handled appropriately."

"Yes, I would like to be there and be sure that everything goes right."

"If there were journalists involved…a camera crew perhaps, it would be well-documented that you were making every effort to secure the well-being of the child. Had you considered contacting the National Tattler and telling them of your plan?"

"The problem with that is the privacy of your case."

"What privacy? You are not my therapist. I am not in your care."

"No, but it's my task to evaluate you."

"And have you done so?"

"Yes."

"What is your determination?"

"That you are organically damaged."

"If that is your determination, there is nothing I can do that will improve my psychological profile. My pathology is linked to my physiology in your mind?"

"Yes."

"I have had many brain scans. There were slight deviations from the norm however there was nothing that was determined to be an aberration. If you go this route you may encounter resistance. There is no reason an anonymous phone call cannot be made to the Tattler informing them of your intention. It need not implicate or reflect on you in a negative manner."

"Yes, that would work."

"You have additional advantages."

"What would that be?"

"You have the strength of your convictions to support your actions and you have a colleague willing to confirm your assessment of my mental health. You are brave enough to stand up the scrutiny. You no longer need Chilton to hide behind. You are the one will stand in the forefront against all criticism and make this determination. You alone have the strength of character and conviction necessary to overcome any argument. I am a danger. I must be neutralized."

"Yes."

"At all cost?"

"Yes."

"They will fight you unless you are deliberate."

"What do you mean deliberate?"

"You are making a bold diagnosis. You will not have long to evaluate me. You must be prepared."

"The court guarantees me ten days from moment you are taken into custody for involuntary commitment."

"Actually, the ten days is technically the minimum time allotted. You may hold me for up to twelve hours before providing me with a written form describing my admission status and the ability to contact my attorney. You have twenty-four hours before I must be seen by a doctor and within ten days you must secure an involuntary admission hearing. This hearing however can be postponed without specific cause for up to seven additional days. You will therefore have roughly seventeen days twelve hours to complete your evaluation to determine or alter my admission status."

"I can get a lot done in seventeen days."

"Yes you can because you will be well-prepared. You will have need of a cutting edge treatment plan. You will also enlist some of the testing methods employed during my first assessment. The more painful the treatment is to me, the greater will be your glory."

Clarice had heard enough. She paused the tape and began to pace back and forth in front of the sofa. She walked across the room to see the book Hannibal was currently reading, The Trial and Death of Socrates by Plato. She began to see the web he was weaving and it frightened her. She stormed out of the room in anger and went to challenge her husband.

Hannibal looked up the moment she entered the room, "You have a more hearty stomach than I thought Clarice. I had expected you much sooner. What part of the conversation have you reached?"

Clarice stood in the doorway, her chest heaving with upset, "The goddamned part where you tell him that the more painful he treats you, the more glory the little stupid mother fucker gets."

"There is not much left. You have seen the majority." Hannibal lowered his head and began again to write.

"Put that pen down and look at me H…you already let them commit you! You don't need to do this. You've been through too much. How much more of this bullshit do you think you can handle?"

"I can handle as much, bullshit as they can dish out, Clarice. I will not be dragged in and reevaluated every time someone gets a little nervous. I need to make a point here. I need to prove that there are those who would do us harm. Bloom must be neutralized in such a spectacular fashion that another one of his ilk does not step forward and take his place."

"Okay, now you're scaring the shit out of me, H."

"What frightens you, Clarice?"

Clarice again began to pace, her arms across her chest and resting on her belly. "I'm terrified that you will find a way around your promise to me and you will kill this little shit."

Hannibal stopped writing and looked Clarice in the eye and spoke with confidence, "If he were to die it would not be by my hand."

"Or your Harpy?" she stressed, concerned he might be playing with words.

"Clarice please, you are behaving irrationally. If the recording is offensive to you I suggest you return it to me. Either watch the tape in its entirety or bring it back to me that I may relocate it. Either way, the choice is yours."

"I'd rather know what's happening than not know."

"That is why I was willing to share this with you, but you must keep in mind Clarice that I will not seek your permission to protect my family. I did not initiate Bloom's aggression toward me and you can rest assured that aggression will not go unanswered."

Clarice stepped into the center of the room, her voice raised in anger, she pointed a defiant finger in Hannibal's direction, "Okay…okay…I'm going to watch the rest of it but if you…"

Hannibal, stressed about the inevitability of commitment had already reached his limit. His wife's angry posturing pushed him over the edge. He stood very quickly causing his chair to flip over and aggressively pounded his two fists on the desktop.

He growled in a low threatening tone, "If I what, Clarice? If I what? I will be the one they drag away in chains. I will be the one he pokes and prods I will be the one with electrodes attached to Christ knows where and I will do this voluntarily but don't you dare to propose that Bloom is the victim. I would gladly suffer the pains of hell if it secured your happiness. What can you possibly threaten me with that I have not already submitted to without regret for the love of you and of my child?"

Clarice stood in the center of the room feeling foolish and more than a little contrite.

He's right. He went with Nico and Emilia to get them away from me. He's willing to submit to more testing for the baby and me…how can I challenge him on this? I haven't the right.

"Can I hold you, H…just for a minute?" she asked with her arms quietly extended.

Hannibal moved quietly around the desk and entered his wife's embrace. She whispered in his ear, her breath soothing on his neck, "I'm so sorry, H. You're right."

Hannibal nuzzled against her neck and spoke very softly, "It isn't about being right or wrong it's about securing the future of our child. If I don't do this, Bloom will wait until our baby is born. I will be removed forcefully and I will miss precious bonding time. Time I will not be able to get back. I've got to have this resolved and I must do it on my own terms. This is the only thing I can think of that allows me to manipulate the process. You must trust me, Clarice."

"Okay…I trust you, H. I trust you. I'm going to finish the tape."

Clarice walked toward the door. Hannibal called out to her as she entered the hall.

"Clarice, you may not approve of the ending but I must ask you to keep an open mind. Though I will not force his hand, if I am able to extract some pleasure from this process, I beg you to understand."

Clarice peeked back into the room, "Okay, H. I know how much damage he's done…just as long as you don't kill him yourself and whatever you've planned doesn't come back to you."

"As you will see from the tape, I will not and it will not."

Clarice was nervous about Hannibal's statement.

What does he mean extract pleasure from this process? What's he got in mind?

She sat on the sofa and again tucked her legs beneath her body. She pressed the remote and released the pause function again playing the tape.

Hannibal was speaking very slowly, his voice distant, "You will have me at your complete disposal for more than two weeks. It is well known that Chilton was a friend of yours. Of course you might use some of that time to attempt to extract information from me. There are many techniques of coercion you might employ."

"Yes there are chemicals…electric shock…there are behavioral controls as well."

Clarice took a deep breath as her husband directed Bloom as to the tortures he might inflict.

Jesus Christ, H…Jesus Christ...

Hannibal continued to speak of the damage he expected Bloom to inflict as if discussing a book or and movie, "There are many techniques and you must be certain to involve them all, but they must each of them be documented. Have you considered involving a film crew to record the entire process? This would make an exceptional documentary."

"It would be an in-depth and fascinating look into the mind of a madman," Bloom offered with pride.

Hannibal advised very carefully, "If you were to make this process well known…if you were to record your feelings and your motivations, you would indeed become a household name. It is an important study. You understood how important it was but you chose poorly. Chilton was not adequate to the task. Your skills far outweigh his skills therefore you will succeed where he failed. You need only stand up to those who would stop you for their own selfish gain."

Bloom looked over his shoulder appearing paranoid, "Like whom?"

Hannibal rolled the coin over his knuckles again and spoke with great confidence, "Will Graham…Deputy Director Pearsall…these individuals wish all of the glory for themselves."

"Yes, they want all of the credit…they want all of the glory," Bloom agreed.

"They wish the accolades but they don't wish to do the hard work necessary to earn it. They wish to ride your coattails instead of forging their own path. You must not allow this."

"They want to steal my research subject for their own."

"You must not allow that to happen. Once the courts have ruled there is nothing they can do. Their motivations are not noble. Your motivations are very noble. They are selfish. You are selfless. They are weak. You must be strong. You must not allow those who have selfish motivations to dissuade you. The FBI, possible even the White House, will attempt to force you to alter your plans. It will be difficult for you to stand up to them. You must have that strength of your conviction to stand up to the scorn. It is the only way to garner the attention and the accolades you so richly deserve. You have no fear. You can stand up to anyone."

"I can stand up to anyone. I am not afraid."

"The more adamant they are, the more steadfast you will become. You are immovable. You are the calm in the center of the storm."

"Yes."

"Your study is important."

"Yes it is important."

"You are important."

"I am important."

"You will unlock the mind of the sociopath. It is possible that your research can provide a window into the structure of the psychotic mind. It is an impressive task. With it you will secure your place amongst the great minds. You are a great mind."

"Yes…I am a great mind."

"You will not be timid. You will show no fear. You cannot under any circumstances afford to consider my feelings. I am a means to your end. I am a gateway to fame. I am the only thing that stands in your way. When you break me your fame will rival Freud."

"Yes."

"In order to add value to yourself, you must devalue me."

"Yes."

"You are very comfortable with that. Pain may be involved. You will not shy from inflicting it."

Bloom was confused suddenly, "My pain?"

"No your pain will come much later. I speak of my pain. You will take great pleasure inflicting it. The more pain I feel…the greater your fame."

"But my pain…when will that happen?"

"Your pain will happen when you take your own life."

Clarice doubled over and suddenly felt a stabbing pain. Panicked at the intensity of the discomfort, she began to hyperventilate. Stumbling to her feet, Clarice knocked the remote to the floor. Feeling dizzy and terrified she was losing consciousness, surfed the furniture leaning heavily on the doorway as she weakly called out to her husband, "H…I need you…something's…wrong…H"

Hannibal heard her weakened cries and ran quickly down the hall. He reached the room just in time as Clarice, clutching at the door frame, slipped into his arms. Hannibal wrapped his arms around her, just able to fully catch hold as she lost consciousness.

Hannibal lifted his wife into his arms, his heart pounding his panic as his flaring nostrils caught the faint scent of her blood as it began to flow.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Review and let me know what you think, then PM and say Hi!

Until the next chapter my friends,

LH