alproperties,anditcouldnotinducehallucinatoryexperiences.Itwasneitheredible,norhadauseinthemanufactureofplantdyes.Ontheotherhand,theaboriginalpeopleofAustraliaregardedassacredtheregionandthefloraaroundAyersRock.
Thebotanistsaidthatsheherselfhadneverseenonebefore,butafterconsultinghercolleaguesshewastoreportthatattemptshadbeenmadetointroducetheplantatanurseryinG?teb,andthatitmight,ofcourse,becultivatedbyamateurbotanists.ItwasdifficulttogrowinSwedenbecauseitthrivedinadryclimateandhadtoremainindoorshalfoftheyear.Itwouldnotthriveincalcareoussoilandithadtobewateredfrombelow.Itneededpampering.
Thefactofitsbeingsorareafloweroughttohavemadeiteasiertotracethesourceofthisparticularspecimen,butinpracticeitwasanimpossibletask.Therewasnoregistrytolookitupin,nolicencestoexplore.Anywherefromahandfultoafewhundredenthusiastscouldhavehadaesstoseedsorplants.AndthosecouldhavechangedhandsbetweenfriendsorbeenboughtbymailorderfromanywhereinEurope,anywhereintheAntipodes.
ButitwasonlyoneintheseriesofmystifyingflowersthateachyeararrivedbypostonthefirstdayofNovember.Theywerealwaysbeautifulandforthemostpartrareflowers,alwayspressed,mountedonwater-colourpaperinasimpleframemeasuringsixinchesbyeleveninches.
Thestrangestoryoftheflowershadneverbeenreportedinthepress;onlyaveryfewpeopleknewofit.Thirtyyearsagotheregulararrivaloftheflowerwastheobjectofmuchscrutiny—attheNationalForensicLaboratory,amongfingerprintexperts,graphologists,criminalinvestigators,andoneortworelativesandfriendsoftherecipient.Nowtheactorsinthedramawerebutthree:theelderlybirthdayboy,theretiredpolicedetective,andthepersonwhohadpostedtheflower.Thefirsttwoatleasthadreachedsuchanagethatthegroupofinterestedpartieswouldsoonbefurtherdiminished.
Thepolicemanwasahardenedveteran.Hewouldneverfethisfirstcase,inwhichhehadhadtotakeintocustodyaviolentandappallinglydrunkworkeratanelectricalsubstationbeforehecausedothersharm.Duringhiscareerhehadbroughtinpoachers,wifebeaters,conmen,carthieves,anddrunkdrivers.Hehad