Quick recap: Clarice is on Hannibal's trail, having been lured out by the wily psychiatrist, but things have gone wrong when Verger's goons ensnared the good doctor. Now it's Clarice to the rescue! Continued from
hereThey trundled the handcart into the barn. Verger's Sardinian stooges, that is - Carlo, Tommaso and Piero. Hannibal was unperturbed as ever. His inquisitive glance took in his surroundings, not missing the three closed-circuit video cameras, and the intercom over which Mason Verger was undoubtedly listening to the proceedings.
Directing his words to Carlo, Hannibal said in a cool, unemotional voice, "Your brother must smell worse than you do by now." A reference to the man which Hannibal had killed in Florence. Instantly Carlo had a blade against Hannibal's throat. He'd been in the act of insert an IV into his wrist, being none too gentle about the procedure. When he drew the knife back, there was only a small amount of blood, as Mason commanded him, via the intercom.
"No, no, no, no - don't
hurt him."
Hannibal contiued to smile at the overwrought man.
Piero finished hanging a gilt-edged mirror that would afford Hannibal a view of his feet once they were in position for the boars, the better to watch them being devoured. He was listening to soccer game as he worked. It was being broadcast in Italian, the sound coming through a shortwave radio set upon a wooden table.
"And turn off that radio. I can't
hear anything," Verger complained. Piero switched it off without comment.