Page 88 of Dancing for the Minotaur

He nodded.

“It is the life-blood of our ship. She needs water circulating continuously to keep growing and living.”

Terra touched the red flower cautiously and the water flowing in the small waterfall grew hotter. She tried the blue flower, and it got cooler.

She laughed.

“This place is ridiculous.”

Taurex frowned worriedly.

“You dislike it?”

“No! I love it,” Terra told him.

She touched the blue bloom again and the water cooled even more. Leaving it like that, she turned to look at the rest of the bathroom.

There were more flowers growing everywhere around the room—large white blossoms that released sweet-smelling soap when squeezed, pale pink ones filled with something that felt like conditioner and small yellow flowers that produced a light oil Taurex explained was used to moisturize the skin.

Terra was delighted.

“So instead of having twelve bottles falling over in your shower, you just have flowers,” she remarked. “This is all so amazing—I may never go back to Earth.”

Taurex’s golden eyes brightened.

“I would not object if you stayed here, ” he rumbled.

Terra felt warmth rise into her cheeks and quickly turned away to examine the rest of the room. Then she noticed a particularly strange plant growing beside what she finally realized must be the toilet—which seemed to have soil in it instead of water at the bottom of the bowl.

The plant consisted of a thick green stem topped by an enormous white flower with dozens—possibly hundreds—of soft overlapping petals. All of the petals were about the size of a tissue—or maybe a little smaller.

Terra frowned as she stared at it.

“What is that and what’s it for?” she asked. Because by now, she had figured out that every plant in the house had some kind of function. None of them were there just because they were pretty—they each had a job to do.

Taurex followed her gaze.

“Oh—that’s the cleansing bloom.”

“The what?” Terra asked, frowning.

He pointed toward the flower.

“It’s for after you relieve yourself.”

Terra stared at him…then at the flower…then back at him. At last, it clicked.

“You mean…that’s toilet paper?”

Taurex frowned.

“Well…I guess in a way. Though the petals are not made of paper.”

“No, but you still use them to…: Terra stopped herself. “Never mind. Yes. That’s toilet paper.”

She reached out and carefully pulled one of the white petals free to rub between her fingers. It was incredibly soft—softer than cotton—and the moment she plucked it, another tiny petal began growing in its place.

Terra burst out laughing—she couldn’t help it. Of all the plants she’d been expecting, this wasn’t one of them.