Day 25

Dietrich had been seeing the mamba show up in various places around his home in his dreams over the last several nights. He would lift something, seeing a long, gray body coiled up underneath. He would jolt, but the mamba would never respond, not hostilely. It would simply raise its head, looking Dietrich in the eye, then go back to sleep. Despite the lack of anything happening, Dietrich felt this was something he needed to address. He just wasn't sure how.

He awoke one morning after such a dream, and looked at his left arm. The bitemarks left by Mahlah had faded after three years, but Dietrich knew exactly where they once were. He started at that spot for a while before sitting up and rubbing his face. He drew in a breath, and left the bed to go call Moffitt.

He knew he was probably waking Moffitt, making him having a conversation before his tea, but Dietrich was already dialing. He didn't exactly have his coffee yet, so he figured it was fair.

A tired voice on the other line said, "Hello? What's so important that it warrants being called at this hour?"

"Some questions I would like to ask you," Dietrich said.

Moffitt's tone changed. "Given that you never do things like this, Dietrich, I'm guessing this really is important."

"Yes. Well, I think so. I have been seeing Mahlah, the black mamba, showing up in my house and my garden in my dreams over the past few nights. He never responds defensively. He just stares at me, before returning to sleep. I was wondering if you could decipher what such a dream means."

"I will say that it's odd you're having a snake dream and I haven't sensed it." Moffitt went quiet. "Have you been having nightmares about when you were bitten?"

"No, not recently."

"Mahlah's just… showing up."

"Yes."

"I see. I think the only way I can figure out the meaning is to have you and Mahlah in the same room. Would that be possible for you?"

"It is. Let me talk to my wife, and I will let you know when I will arrive."

"Alright. Good luck."

After hanging up the phone, Dietrich decided that he would wait until Esther was more awake before discussing this with her. As he waited, his seven-year-old son, Gunther, was coming down the stairs. "Good morning," Gunther said.

"Good morning," Dietrich replied. "Is your mother up?"

"I don't think so. Is there breakfast?"

"I can get breakfast started. Be patient, please."

Gunther sat at the counter, looking around for a moment before saying, "Is Uncle Moffitt visiting?"

"No. Why?" Dietrich asked.

"I heard you talking to him on the telephone."

"No. I needed to speak with him about something personal. I might be going over to Britain for a little while."

"Can I come?"

"Not this time. Like I said, this is something personal. You will be here with your mother and cousin."

Gunther pouted, looking down at the counter.

Dietrich sighed. "I apologize. Next time, alright? There is something I feel I have to do."

"What is it?"

"Something you will not understand until you are a little older."

"You say that about everything."

Dietrich leaned against the counter, making eye contact with his son. "Think about every scary story you have heard and read, alright? Now, think about how they made you feel. You had bad dreams about some of them, correct?"

Gunther nodded.

"If I told you about some of the things I have been through over the years, you would never sleep again. There are some things in the world that cannot be easily defeated by force, because they cannot be seen, touched, or heard. Their fight does not involve merely slaying a dragon. No. There is more than that."

Gunther looked both nervous and confused. His gaze shifted to the counter, and he didn't look up until Esther and Anselm were coming down the stairs.

"Good morning, Hans," Esther said. "What did you do to our son?"

"What did I do? Nothing," Dietrich replied.

"Dad said I can't go visit Uncle Moffitt because of things worse than scary stories," Gunther said.

Esther gave him a confused look, then gave the same look to her husband. "Hans…"

Dietrich looked up at the ceiling before sighing. "I called Moffitt about a dream I have been having. Gunther overheard and asked if he could come with me to Britain. I said, 'no.' He asked, 'why?' I told him it was something personal and that he will not understand until he is older, and he said that I always say that. My response? I have been through things that would terrify him beyond all comprehension."

Esther folded her arms over her chest, then looked at Gunther. "Look, if your father says 'no,' then don't ask further questions."

"That is not what we want to instill in him, Esther," Dietrich said. "He is allowed to ask 'why,' even if it drives me up the wall."

"Is that really wise, Hans?"

"I have years of practice with Troy."

Anselm raised an eyebrow. "Troy asks 'why' if you tell him 'no?'"

"Yes. And he also thinks that is a perfectly acceptable response to other questions. I can handle Gunther doing the same thing."

"Can you?"

"Yes."

Anselm exchanged a look with his aunt. "Okay. We'll remind you if you have a breakdown over this."

Dietrich didn't appreciate their lack of confidence in him, although he doubted Moffitt would be much better. After breakfast, Esther asked to talk to him in private. "What dreams have you been having?" she said.

"I have been seeing the black mamba, Mahlah, in the house and the garden," Dietrich replied. "He has not responded with aggression in any of these dreams. I want to know why this is happening."

Esther thought for a moment. "I really don't want you going near that snake again."

"Moffitt will be with me. I promise. What happened three years ago is not going to happen again."

Esther looked at the floor, then back up at her husband. "Why do you chase after these things, Hans?"

"Because I do not want to ignore something that is potentially important."

Esther nodded a little. She looked hesitant, then let out a quiet sigh. "I hope you find answers, then."

"I hope so, too." Dietrich put his arms around her, and kissed her forehead. "I love you. I promise, I will return unharmed."

Dietrich was able to get a flight to England the following morning, and was glad to see Moffitt and Jules waiting at the airport in London for him.

"Hello, Dietrich," Moffitt said. "Good to see you again."

"Thank you. I greatly appreciate your hospitality, and for not thinking I have gone insane," Dietrich replied.

"Never."

"Good, because my wife and nephew seem to think I have some screws loose. Not because of the mamba dreams, but because I said I can tolerate Gunther repeatedly asking why."

Moffitt and Jules exchanged a look. "Uh… Dietrich?" Moffitt said. "We've seen you get annoyed with Troy over stuff like that. I'm going to have to agree with Esther and Anselm on this one."

Dietrich rolled his eyes before getting in the back of the Land Rover. "I bet even Troy would have more faith in me."

"No, Troy would begin mercilessly pestering you."

"As if he doesn't already," Jules said.

"True, true."

When they arrived in Cambridge, Dietrich took some time to rest from his flight. He was immediately inspected by the Moffitts' Siberian husky, Livna, who then sat by him, staring intently when he sat down for a breakfast prepared by Anah, in hopes there would be a treat or two. Little did the dog know that Dietrich wasn't someone who caved to the demands of anyone looking cute.

Moffitt had a second cup of tea before he and Dietrich drove over to the university in order to see Mahlah in Millington's laboratory. Millington was already there, himself curious about this. The snake of the hour, Mahlah, didn't pay much attention to Dietrich, but he did approach the glass of his tank when Moffitt approached.

"Can you ask if he has been having strange dreams at all?" Dietrich said.

Moffitt nodded while opening the tank. He looked the mamba in the eye, both becoming still for a moment, then Moffitt looked over at Dietrich as Mahlah climbed up his arm. "He said he's been having dreams of being in a place he's never seen before, and he keeps seeing your face."

Dietrich thought for a moment. "Perhaps we need to get to know each other better. Start off on a better note."

Moffitt frowned. "Do you want to handle him?"

Dietrich shrugged. "I would not mind."

Millington pursed his lips. "I never start people inexperienced with snakes on elapids, and especially not on members of Dendroaspis. They are among the last species that I train people on."

"You have me here," Moffitt said.

"I know. I still don't like this." Millington worked his jaw as he thought, then he sighed. "Alright." He went into another room to retrieve several vials of antivenom, along with a syringe. "Just in case," he said. He handed Dietrich a snake hook. "The vast majority of mambas don't sit on hooks well. Some will look at it as just another branch, but others will easily slide out and come back at you. Don't underestimate their ability to climb up their own bodies, especially longer ones. Mahlah is an exception, not the rule. His behavior is considered extremely unusual, especially with Jack in the room. First things first, are you right- or left-handed?"

"I can use both, but I am more comfortable with my right," Dietrich said.

"Good. That means if you need to readjust and switch hands, you won't feel too uncomfortable. Jack, could you set Mahlah on the table, please?"

Moffitt nodded before uncoiling Mahlah from around his shoulders. He put the snake on the table. Mahlah stretched out as he explored the table, not paying attention to the people around him.

"Fortunately for you, Dietrich, Mahlah is used to handling. He does not associate the hook with negative experiences. As another bit of a bonus, your scent is not new to him. Move slowly, and without jerky movements."

Millington coached Dietrich through the process of picking up Mahlah's tail, then completely lifting the snake after sliding the hook under an area on the first third of his body. Dietrich felt like this should have been more nerve-wracking, and yet, he stayed calm throughout his entire interaction. He drew in a breath, feeling there was almost no tension in the snake apart from his tail, wrapped around Dietrich's wrist for stability.

Mahlah eventually turned to face Dietrich. Dietrich raised the hook a little in order for the mamba to be at eye level with him. He remained still, looking Mahlah in his silver eyes. Time seemed to slow, and Dietrich could feel his heartrate beginning to slow as well. He was dimly aware that he was holding up the mamba and the snake hook without shaking.

Dietrich jolted slightly when he suddenly felt as though cotton had been stuffed in his ears. Mahlah hadn't moved, but he did tilt his head a little, and Dietrich heard a faint voice in his mind, like someone was speaking to him at a distance.

"I wanted to apologize myself," Mahlah said.

"You already did through Moffitt," Dietrich thought.

"I did not consider that to be enough. I wanted to do it myself, with my own words, because of how devastating it would have been for you to have not made it. So many people love you. The last thing I want is to be responsible for taking you away from them. Especially from Moffitt. He helped save my life. That should not be the thanks he receives."

Whatever had been done to allow Mahlah to speak so briefly with Dietrich didn't last long. The cotton feeling left Dietrich's ears, and he found himself slowly lowering the mamba. He blinked, adjusted his grip on the snake, and began directing him back toward his tank.

Moffitt looked at Dietrich after closing the tank. "So, that was what he wanted."

"You heard?" Dietrich asked.

Moffitt nodded. "Much clearer than you probably could, but, yes. I… don't know how it was possible. At the same time, who am I to question it? Perhaps he wanted it that much."

"It was probably the purest, kindest thing anyone could ask for." Dietrich crouched by the tank, and put his palm against the glass. Mahlah nuzzled the glass in response. "I accept your apology, although I feel responsible for having to do that in the first place." Overall, Dietrich was relieved that his dreams hadn't meant something more. All along, it had been something simple, but meaningful.