Pinag tagpo namin ni Eva ang hawak naming wine glass.
Napatawa ito nang bahagya bago sumimsim sa Italian Chianti na dala ko.
"I already know that you are very, very capable, Mr. Lagard," sabi ni Eva."What you did to Cardinal was so inhuman."
Mukha iyong lait, ngunit isa iyong papuri. Sinuklian ko siya ng isang matipid na ngiti.
"How did you do it?" tanong ni Eva, "How did you manage to pass all your sins into a saint?"
Bahagya kong inikot-ikot ang akin wine.
"I didn't pass it. I push him to do it."
"Like you DO it," dagdag ni Eva. "You're an artist, Mr. Lagard. As an artist, you value your own design. You hate to have a copycat."
Dahan-dahan kong binuksan ang aking mga mata. Nasusundan ko na kung saan papunta ang usapang ito.
"But you made your own," kunot noong dadag pa ni Eva habang nakangiti at tinigil ang pag ikot ng kaniyang daliri sa wine glass, bahagya siyang lumingon saakin. "What compelled you?"
Tumitig ako ng diretso kay Eva sa kaniyang tinanong, diretso lamang rin itong nakatingin saakin na tila naghihintay ng sagot.
"Do artists need a reason to make a masterpiece?" sabi ko sabay lakad paupo sa isang single seater lounge sofa ng kaniyang sala.
Natawa na lamang si Eva ng bahagya at kinuha ang kaniyang wine glass, umupo ito sa mahabang couch na katabi ng lamesa na nasa aking harapan.
"No," sagot niya sabay dekwatro ng binti, "But they have inspiration."
"H.P Lovecraft doesn't have an inspiration."
"He does," hadlang ni Eva sa aking sinasabi, "He was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, Algernon Blackwood and Lord Dunsany."
Hindi ako sumagot dahil nahadlangan ni Eva ang aking pagsisinungaling.
"It was all in his nightmare," pagtatama ko muli sa sinabi ni Eva.
"Hmn," natawa ng bahagya si Eva habang nakatingin saakin, "This is the first time you tried to avoid a topic, Mr. Lagard."
Matagal kong tinitigan si Eva sa sinabi niya.
Lionesses are secret behind-the-scenes breadwinners, and this woman in front of me is one of those hunters.
"You can't ask me so you did your own research," pagbubunyag ko sakaniya, agad ko kasing nasundan ang tono at direksyon ng kaniyang mga salita, "What did you saw?"
Imbis na sumagot sa tanong ko ay matagal niya lamang akong tinitigan na tila parehas naming nahuli ang isa't isa.
"Eva."
Napakurap si Eva, pinagpalit ang pagka-kadekwatro ng kaniyang binti at kalmadong sumandal sa kaniyang upuan.
"How long?" makahulugang tanong niya saakin matapos ang mahaba habang katahimikan.
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