Gaspery Roberts: Okay, it’s on. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.

Alan Sami: You’re welcome. Thank you for lunch.

GR: Now, just for the benefit of my recording, you’re a violinist.

AS: I am. I play in the airship terminal.

GR: For spare change?

AS: For pleasure. I don’t need the money, to be clear.

GR: But you do collect change, in that hat at your feet…

AS: Well, people were throwing change at me, so I did at one point decide to just turn my hat upside down in front of me, so that all the change would at least land in one place.

GR: May I ask, why do you do it, if you don’t need the money?

AS: Well, because I love it, son. I love playing the violin, and I love seeing people.

GR: I’d like to play a short clip for you, if I may.

AS: Of music?

GR: Music with some ambient noises. I’ll play it, and then I’m going to ask you to tell me anything you can about it. That sound all right?

AS: Sure. Go ahead.

GR: That was you, right?

AS: Yes, that’s me in the airship terminal. Poor-quality recording, though.

GR: How can you be sure it’s you?

AS: How can I…really? Well, son, because I know the music and I heard an airship. That whoosh just at the end.

GR: Let’s focus on the music for a moment. That piece you were playing, can you tell me about it?

AS: My lullaby. I composed it, but I never gave it a title. It was something I made up for my wife, my late wife.

GR: Your late…I’m sorry.

AS: Thank you.

GR: Is there—did you ever record yourself playing it, or write down the score?

AS: Neither. Why?

GR: Well, as I mentioned, I’m an assistant to a music historian. I’ve been tasked with investigating similarities and differences between the music played at airship terminals in various regions on Earth.

AS: And your affiliation, what institution was that, again?

GR: University of British Columbia.

AS: That where your accent’s from?

GR: My accent?

AS: It just shifted. I have an ear for accents.

GR: Oh. I’m from Colony Two.

AS: Interesting. My wife was from Colony One, but I wouldn’t say she sounded anything like you. How long have you been doing this?

GR: Assisting in investigations? A few years.

AS: You go to school for that? How does a person get into that line of work?

GR: Fair question. I was spinning my wheels, if we’re being honest here. I had a job in hotel security. It was fine. I just stood around a hotel lobby, staring at people. But then, well, I saw an opportunity. Something came up that really interested me, in a way I’d never been interested in anything. I spent five years in training, studying linguistics and psychology and history.

AS: I understand the history part, but why psychology and linguistics?

GR: Well, linguistics because people speak differently, at different points in history, and if you’re dealing with old music that has a spoken-word element, it’s helpful.

AS: Makes sense. And psychology?

GR: Personal interest. It wasn’t relevant. It wasn’t relevant at all. I don’t know why I mentioned it.

AS: Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

GR: Wait, did you just call me a lady?

AS: That was Shakespeare, son. Come on, now. Didn’t you go to school?