I know

EPILOGUE:

Prague five months later:

Karlùv Most was unnaturally empty. No tourists to block the bridge and made it look like a huge snake, alive and restless. This emptiness was also recognizable in the time it took to walk over it. The usual twenty to thirty minute commute was reduced to five minutes of swift walking.

Hannibal stopped halfway on his way over the bridge and took in the sight of the Vltava River, notic-ing the declining height of the water. The summer had been hot with random bursts of rain. It had confused the weather forecast and annoyed the locals but had not had any impact on the masses of tourists that invaded the city all around the year.

Every tourist destination had a peak and a low season. Not so with Prague. The city center, the Hrad-èaný and Vyšehrad were crawling with foreigners each day of every month. The medieval and Art Nouveau buildings of the central districts attracted more people every year and provided the local population with a secure income.

After a last glance down the river to Fred ‘n’ Ginger, Hannibal started walking again towards Malá Strana. He was on his way from the delicatessen close to Vaclavské Namìstí to his apartment in the Kampa area. He preferred the calmer atmosphere of this part of Malá Strana to the restlessness of the Staré Mìsto. It was not like there were no tourists on this side of the Vltava River. There were just as many people worming their way through the streets and alleys of the Malá Strana uphill to Pražský Hrad as there were all around Staré Mìsto, Vaclavské Namìstí, Paøižská and the surrounding sights like Josefov with its old Jewish cemetery and its many different synagogues. The difference was that, in the Kampa region, there existed more quiet alleys and rarely frequented streets than in the first district.

Hannibal passed the last tourist vendors on the bridge and turned to the steps leading down from the side of the bridge. He reached the small square at the bottom of the stairs and crossed it, ignoring the last flocks of tourists that rested on the small benches and glanced at the small beer gardens outside the restaurants.

The park was even emptier than the bridge and he let the calm wash over him, cleansing away the tension of his excursion into town. He left the bigger path through the park in favor of a small path that lead to the side arm of the Vltava River. ‘Devil’s Creek’, the small amount water was hardly worth this name.

Crossing another bridge he entered a narrow cobble-stoned alley and followed it to its end. There was no boardwalk, there was no need: no car would ever fit into the alley. The small bar was already open and Pøemysl, the waiter, was setting up the tables outside. He glanced up from his work long enough to nod his customary greeting at Hannibal before continuing his work.

Hannibal reached the entrance to the house and balanced his purchases in one hand while reaching for the door to unlock it. Just was he was about to open it, the door was pushed outwards and Mrs. Davidková bustled out of the house. She dragged her small lapdog behind her.

“Dobrý veèer.” Hannibal stepped to the side to let the elderly lady pass.

“Dobrý veèer pan Fell. Jak se máš?” With her eighty-seven years she looked strong and regal like no-bility. She had her steel-gray hair braided to keep it out of her face.

“Dobrý. Mám se krásný, dìkuji vám. Jak se mate paní Davidková?”

The older woman smiled, pleased at the question. “Dobrý, dnés byl a hezký den.”

Once the unwilling dog had been dragged out of the entrance door, the way inside the house was free. Hannibal slipped into the hallway and said his farewell to Mrs Davidková, “Nasklaj dáno.”

“Nasklaj!” Another tug at the leash and woman and dog were on their way to the park.

Hannibal climbed the stairs to the third floor. He liked the Art Nouveau staircase with its wrought-iron railing. The wooden top of the railing had been sandpapered and painted last week and the coat of color was still flawless.

One last time of juggling and he was finally able to unlock the door to his apartment. The rooms were silent and made all his moves sound strangely loud. Hannibal carried his two bags to the kitchen and put them down on the counter. He would unpack everything later but he needed to put the fish into the fridge. Carefully digging the package with the trouts out of one bag, he noticed that Mr. Beneš had added a free sample of Chilean coffee to the bag.

After safely depositing the fish in the fridge, Hannibal left the kitchen for the living room. Today’s newspaper was spread over the expensive designer leather couch. Some articles and ads in the ‘Cul-ture & Events’ part of the paper were highlighted in bright orange. He picked the daily up and scanned the marked areas. There was to be a vernissage in the small gallery two streets down and the National Opera would launch a two week special of Mozart.

The sudden presence behind him didn’t startle Hannibal but he dropped the pages he had been read-ing and turned around. Will stood in the bedroom doorway, his clothes rumpled and his hair tousled. The younger man had to lean against the doorframe to keep from swaying. A yawn split his face and puffy eyes drifted close.

“How long did you stay up last night, Will?” Hannibal slowly approached the other man. “I heard you walking around at about four but I didn’t hear you get out of bed.”

“I couldn’t sleep the whole night. Too much coffee and the movie was kind of scary.” A slight blush tinted his cheeks.

It surprised Hannibal every time that Will, an Ex-Profiler, was scared into insomnia by horror movies. Resisting the urge to tease the younger man, he stopped in front of him and reached out and stroked the other’s bare arms. “What movie did you watch this time?”

“The Dark. It’s some movie where they do weird things with sheep.”

“Is it now?” His hands grabbed hold of Will’s upper arms and pulled the other into an embrace. “Stop watching those infernal movies.”

“Okay.” Will relaxed against him, inhaling Hannibal’s scent. The younger man leaned into Hannibal’s bulkier frame, finding the hold he needed.

Hannibal was sure that Prague had been the perfect choice.


-THE END-


Story notes:

Translations for the Czech words and phrases:

Czech Word / Phrase English Translation
Karlùv Most / Charles Bridge
Vltava River / Moldau River
Hradèaný / Castle district/area
Vyšehrad / Old Castle (name)
Malá Strana / Small Quarter
Vaclavské Namìstí / Wencelslav Square
Staré Mìsto / Old Town
Pražský Hrad / Prague Castle
Paøižská / Parisian Street
Josefov / Name of the Jewish Quarter
Dobrý veèer! / Good evening! (greeting)
pan / Mister
Jak se máš? / How are you doing?
Dobrý. Mám se krásný, dekuju. / Good. I am fine, thank you.
Jak se mate paní Davidková? / How are you Mrs Davidková?
Dobrý, dnés byl a hezký den. / Good, today was a nice day.
Nasklaj dáno! / Good bye!
Nasklaj! / Good bye! (shortened version)