“How amazing!”

  Avery looked at what made the boss so excited.

  Which ones? Which flowers?

  Avery was standing at a considerable stall and didn’t know what to do next. Flowers. He wanted to buy flowers because he had a date that day.

  Because yes. Avery had started going on dates.

  He was looking for a way to move on.

  Going on dates was perceived as moving on, according to some people.

  Women were easy. By this, he meant that he had no problem with them being interested. So, he started going on these dates.

  Today, the boss suggested flowers. And that was where he was.

  Flowers.

  “Look, weird daisies! Amazing!” Taj exclaimed again.

  “Why?” Avery asked.

  “O, these are the ones I mutated once; they held up great in the sand. Song called them that, and I described them that way in the documents. I knew they were still on the market, but somehow—when was the last time I actually stood by the flower stalls or was in the greenhouse? Actually, I will talk to Gabi; we have to organize a greenhouse for me somewhere near the labs, finally, because why not? I have to get back to the plants…”

  The boss was talking. Avery started to sigh but stopped himself.

  The Leader, Si—recently, Avery was more on first name terms with the Leader, so Si—had mentioned, Luna the same, that the boss was a talker.

  He was.

  He was a terrible talker.

  Avery’s world had exploded since they started talking more. There was no silence. Until then, Avery had listened to his surroundings, and it was mostly peaceful silence.

  Now, there was no silence. The boss was talking.

  “… But they are holding up great. Avery, maybe you want to buy these; then the girl will have flowers that have practically no chance of withering. I am still proud of it…”

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  Avery nodded, reached for the flowers, paid.

  He gave them to the boss.

  “Hold them for now.”

  Let him have his fun for a while.

  They had just finished talking about the recent scandal.

  Riggs. What Avery had learned about the energy navigation.

  Finally, officially, the Leader—Si—described the old wars, the attacks, and their causes. He explained and added that they were looking for a device.

  Si also added that it was a critical matter for Taj. The boss.

  Here, Avery was still hesitating. Should he ask or not?

  He had overheard it once. No. He had heard it from afar. That the boss had died twice. For the second time, to be precise. It was close to the date of the previous Leader’s death.

  Was it related to the search? As well as weapons? Avery wondered. To ask?

  No, better to wait. The boss would eventually say. So would Si.

  Taj and Si. They finally would tell. Patience worked best.

  Meanwhile, they walked slowly.

  “… Another date. Which girl is it? Avery, you are on fire, no? I am happy. These flowers, how nice. Look, they have these additions here; they are made of grass, see?” Taj was pointing at something on the leaves.

  Avery couldn’t tell the difference between the plants at all. But he looked.

  He guessed he would have to read something.

  If the boss wanted to open greenhouses, yes, Avery would have to educate himself.

  He would ask later which topics he should start with. No, he would check it himself. Taj’s specialization was available for finding.

  They walked calmly.

  The boss was talking more about grass. Avery definitely had to learn more about plants.

  They finally reached the Gate.

  Avery had half an hour left until the end of the workday, plus he wanted to change.

  Dating.

  Taj said goodbye, gave the flowers back, and disappeared. He couldn’t dematerialize them with himself. That was what he meant.

  Why would he buy anything at the flower stand at all if he were unable to take it with him anyway? That was why the greenhouses—yes, that was a good idea. Avery would have to help the boss do it faster.

  Not talk about it, but do it. Avery decided he would take care of it, starting tomorrow.

  Meanwhile, he went through the Gate, headed for his apartment. Ten steps, five, two, and the stairs. The door. He was at his place.

  Silence. A little uneasy, Avery paused. Too quiet?

  He put the flowers on the table in a bowl. They were quite interesting. It wasn’t a bouquet, just a clump of grass and flowers.

  They smelled good. The boss’s Song called them what—weird daisies?

  Daisies—nice name. But. They weren’t weird at all.

  It was Song who was weird.

  Avery recently recalled what he had heard once. From afar.

  Taj was naive. So many years and still loyal. His Song was cheating on him—that was what Avery heard. Perhaps there was no evidence. Perhaps he wasn’t cheating. But Song’s brother, his own brother, mentioned it. There had to be something to it. And Taj still missed him.

  A hundred years of longing.

  What a combination of strength and naivety. After all, he had so much energy, data, and weapons. Yet, he was so fragile.

  The boss had to be protected.

  Avery changed his clothes. He looked at the messenger. The girl wrote that she was ten minutes away. So, she won’t be late.

  He headed for the exit but hesitated at the flowers.

  They looked good there.

  The boss would be happy to see them again. There were no detectors; he projected himself in Avery’s apartment more and more often.

  He decided. Then left, and the door shut silently behind him.

  The flowers were left on the table.