Kieran drifted in on one of the florists and started chatting with her. Her name was Marion. She explained that the flowers were genetically adapted for shipping in the budding stage at low temperatures, which would enable them to bloom full and fresh when warmed on arrival. She showed him a species of such delayed-flowering lilies that had been selected for inclusion in the garlands and bouquets on account of their enhanced fragrance, which they achieved by expelling their scent actively. That was interesting, Kieran commented. He hadn’t known about that before. “They create atmosphere for you—literally,” Marion said, running a finger over a bundle of the buds fondly. “They’ll be the last things to be packed tomorrow.”
Kieran wandered around the hotel thoughtfully for the next half hour. Then he went back up to his room and retrieved from the Juggernaut’s data files the figures that Pierre had supplied for the externally applied electrical field strength needed to activate nano-synthesizers incorporated in body cells. Armed with that information, he placed a call to an old friend and communications specialist to inquire if, and if so, how a digital code could be multiplexed into a regular phone signal in such a way as to pulse the receiving voice coil to generate that order of field gradient. The system advised him that the recipient was almost a light-hour away in the Belt, and the reply would be forwarded. A short while later, Kieran reappeared downstairs in the room to the rear of the lobby area, where Marion and several assistants in white work coats were still wrapping and boxing budding blooms, tying posies, and arranging assorted sprigs of greenery.
“Any chance I could steal a few of those lilies?” Kieran inquired casually. “I’m due to meet a special date in a couple of days’ time. Wouldn’t fresh-flowering lilies go off just great in a place like this!”
“Don’t tell me you’re a romantic at heart underneath it all,” Marion said.
“And what’s wrong with that? Sure, it comes with the name. Look around, you’ve got hundreds of them.”
Marion shook her head with a smile and gave him a bunch. “Here. Don’t say I never do anyone a favor.”
“You see, I know a fairy godmother when I see one.” Kieran examined the flowers. “How long beforehand would I need to start warming them up?”
“About eight hours gives the best results.”
“Uh-huh.” He peeled back the furled outer petals of one of the buds and studied it. “How does the ejection mechanism work?” he asked curiously.
“Why do you need to know that?”
“I’m an engineer. Engineers can’t look at anything without taking it apart and wanting to know how it works.”
“Tell me about it. I was married to one once.” Marion opened the inner layers to uncover the structures of the pistil and stamen, and gave him a mini tutorial on the pollination process and how it related to scent manufacture.
Kieran watched and listened intently. “My word!” he commented when she was done. “It makes you glad to be a vertebrate, doesn’t it?”
Marion ignored the remark. “Good luck with your date. If you don’t make out, you won’t be able to blame it on us for not trying to help.”
“Much appreciated, indeed.” Kieran walked away, smiling.
* * *
Back in his room, the first thing he did was put the lily buds from Marion in the room’s refrigerator. Then he called Pierre to say where he was and that he would need a further supply of nano-synthesizer solution the following morning, prepared with a base that would disperse rapidly in air. He also asked Pierre’s recommendation for a substance carrying a distinctive odor that would behave similarly. Having settled on a type, he ordered some from a local medical supplies company, to be delivered to the Oasis immediately by courier, along with an assortment of medical syringes, and asked the hotel’s room service to bring a half-dozen extra wastepaper bins to his room. He called Solomon Leppo, telling him to be at the hotel the next morning too, and then Mahom Alazahad to ask if he could organize a private fire team for possible use at short notice from among his nefarious contacts. With the irrationality and flaring tempers that seemed to be in evidence everywhere, and especially after the show of force at Troy, Kieran felt that having some protection ready on hand for Hamil and the others out at Tharsis wouldn’t be a bad investment.