Tallman's work on seven American nights is almost correct.  America has a plot to be great again involving the grain merchant gollem gassem but it involves air bound spores.  Nadan dreams of moldy bread and wonders why America would wish such a thing.  The weapon they will employ is their specialty: drugs.  When the smithsonian guy says smell is true communication it is hinting at an airborne infectious vector for gollem gassem's grain when it is prepared.  This is why Nadan is sure he was drugged on the ship - scent or foreshadowing of America's plot. They are going to destroy Persia/Iran as they were destroyed.  I don't think it has much to do with any other weapons cache, as that is not thematically stressed in the text.  It is poison, probably via smell, that they posit.  Perhaps kreton was reaching for the vial they gave Nadan if he wasn't just copping a feel.  <div><br></div><div>Gassem!</div>