"Lestat enjoys it too much to go insane." Hannibal smiled only a little bit. "I'm not entirely sure that he doesn't do it purely out of vanity, to know what people are thinking about him, more than what they're thinking in general."
He understood River's trepidation about what was happening to her. It was a very valid thing to worry about. The City had stripped her of something, at least he had to guess that it was the fault of the City, and not just her reverting to the way she had been before. Since nothing else about her was different, he didn't think it was her brain repairing itself.
"You haven't lost anything else since then." He stood up, not willing to let River sit on the other side of the table alone in the state she was entering. He stood behind her and put an easy hand on her shoulder, letting her know that he was there, but not putting them in any awkward positions due to trying to hug her through a plush chair.
"More important is the fact that you are not your abilities, River Tam. You are so much more than that. Even if you were to lose everything else that you have, you would be the same girl. Delightfully brilliant, fun, beautiful. Those things will not ever change."