The room is a mess, albeit an extremely opulent one. Beautiful statues, rare taxidermied animals, and delicate metalwork are just a few of the pieces of art that litter the tables at the edge of the room, often spilling down onto the floor. A large patterned rug leads to an even larger table in the center of the room, and in one corner, a balcony looks out over an internal courtyard. At the balcony stands a short, rotund man, who turns as you enter.
"Ah, you must be Basileios," says Utrio, gesturing to a chair that stands near one of the tables. The chair is already occupied by a stuffed animal resembling a stocky cat with a bushy tail, thick claws, and a long snout. "Sit, sit—just push that thing onto the floor."
You take a seat.
"I'm looking to get rid of some of this," Utrio says. "It's the curse of the collector—to have an infinite desire for new pieces but only a finite space in which to put them. A line must be drawn somewhere though, mustn't it?"