Hannibal had the water hot already, and took just a moment to make up a bag of earl grey and set it to steep.

The kitchen, under anybody else, would have been chaos. As this was Hannibal, it was neatly organized chaos. There were a number of trays nearly ready to go out, four dishes in progress with the platters waiting on them, and coffee (and now tea) brewing.

"I'm pleased to see you have come through yet another of the island's whims," he said to Lucille. "This one was more brutal than many."