Breathless from my energetic pace of walking, I arrived at the museum thirty minutes ahead of my interview. I was aiming to arrive a whole hour earlier so I could visit Vazar and explain where I had been, but train delays put an end to those plans. I paused at the foot of the wide staircase that led up to the exhibition hall where Vazar would be waiting.
I hadn't had time to spruce myself up, and I wasn't willing to waste the 30 minutes I had finding a bathroom to check my appearance. Taking the stairs two at a time, I burst through the doors of the hall and made a beeline for the vase.
"Vazar?" I whispered trying to peer into the mouth of the artifact.
Several seconds ticked by but they felt like several hours. Still no response.
"Hello? Are you there? Are you sleeping?" I asked
