"I'm hungry. Let's have dinner."

Alessandro's sudden change of subject took me by surprise. After all of the skinning, mounting heads on walls, and wearing like jackets talk, I wasn't feeling particularly hungry.

Still, Alessandro wasn't fazed by any of it. He simply straightened his tie and pulled a suit jacket on. He helped me find my shoes and held out an arm for me to walk with him down to the dining hall here.

He led me to a small, private room off the ...