"I'm accepting any visitors able to distract me from this damn headgear," Hannibal answered. The hat wasn't actually bad as hats went, but the feather was driving him crazy. And the eyepatch was making reading difficult. "One moment; let me close the drapes."

He pulled the heavy drapes closed and opened the door. "Good afternoon, Count. How have you been?" he asked as civilly as he could.

Drac had better not laugh. There might be disparaging remarks made about his cape in return.