4
“This one is very rare and has unusual properties.” He

seemed gilded with red and yellow gold. The pitchers
issue
stepped to the opposite side of the boulder from her and rose up like silver champagne flutes and made a faint
Fluxion
leaned over the plant. Again, he whispered a few words metallic clinking sound in the breeze. The sundews’



to it and stepped back. Within moments the plant gently arching arms were covered with tiny tentacles tipped
ART
quaked and its stems seemed to extend outward. Then with sticky dewdrops that glowed like garnets in the
to the sorceress’ surprise they began emitting delicate sun. As she watched, a doomed moth alighted on one
fuchsia pompoms. Each blossom shot into the air and and the plant quickly curled around it in a deathly
vanished with a pop, leaving a powdery cloud behind. embrace.
The sorceress shut her eyes and held her breath as the Expecting something a bit more dramatic, the sor-
fine dust gusted around her in the breeze. ceress asked if that was all the plants did. The warden
“No, no,” the warden said. “Relax and breathe deeply.” smiled. “Patience,” he said, and gestured to the center
Figure 3 Sage-Scented Urn Plant (Cryptanthus salviaeolens)
She hesitated a moment and glanced at him with of the pond where strange water plants floated. Sitting
one squinting eye, then followed his suggestion and was atop large, heart-shaped lily pads was a cluster of soft,
delighted to find the dust was no more than a mist that spherical flowers like peach-colored balloons with
left the air suffused with the heady scent of sage. When short, dark stems. As she watched, the blooms began
the display was finished, the warden led her through slowly shrinking with soft sighing sounds. One by one,
the fragrant clearing and on to the next. each deflated and sank below the surface, leaving the
This clearing was almost entirely filled by a clear, leaves behind. When they had all vanished, the sorcer-
sparkling pond. She could see smooth black stones in ess looked to the warden.
the bottom and all around its edges were clusters of “Well?” she asked.
sundews and pitcher plants, unlike any she had ever “Patience,” he replied, a mischievous gleam
seen. They were enormous and the leaves and stems in his eyes.
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