'Up that bank, look.'�

Both their heads turned as Anna gestured, through the thick foliage to a steep ridge, jutting above the canopy on the far side of the river.

She was already wading across the water when they saw what she had pointed at, a crop of rich red flowers, growing on ridge. Following with interest they both saw what had got her so suddenly excited, neither of them knew what it was.

They reached the crop shortly after Anna, and found her taking cuttings.

'It's new,'� she gushed, 'I'm sure.'�

They had to admit they were sure too, the thick red veins that ran through the dark, rubbery leaves were intriguing enough. But the strange bulbs, with their wide, shallow petals and dark, tight centres were fascinating.

When one of the bulbs suddenly burst forward and, with a great chomp, ripped off one of the men's heads, Anna was sure this was a new flower.



Two months later and a helicopter baring the plant hovered over Hillburn Park.

It's searchlight picked out the pad below and it descended through the dark, stopping only minutes for it's crew to deposit a large crate, then it vanished up and away, into the darkness.

The head gardner, who had been waiting for the delivery beckoned for the porters waiting to mount the crate on the forklift and then lead them towards the greenhouse that had been erected for it.

'Apparently it likes live meat,'� he told the team of three who were to look after it. 'Three lambs a day, at nine in the morning, one early afternoon and one at about six pm. Every saturday replace the morning lamb with a cow, or possibly a couple of pigs if no cows available.'�

It took several hours to fully plant the new arrival, during which Hillburn Park lost two keepers and a guard-dog. But eventually, the Lady was able to visit.

She wandered serenely in to the large greenhouse, and gazed over the great bed in the centre where the flowers mouth was snapping and bellowing angrily. As it had been since it's sedative had worn off, and it had realised it had been moved.

The keepers were keeping well away, but Sia wandered serenely up to the plant, as though she wasn't aware of the snapping maw.

As she approached the bulb reared back, and then darted forward, it's wide mouth ready to bite her in two. But as it struck she lazily raised one of her gloved hands, and suddenly the bulb found itself caught in a powerful grip, her tiny hand could easily kill it and it hesitated.

She pulled the bulb forward, close to her face, and stared at where it's eyes should be, if it had any.

'Let's not piss about,'� she whispered, 'you're not in the jungle anymore, I'm Queen Bitch here. I brought you here, you live because I want you to, annoy me and I'll let you starve, or worse. And face it sweetie, you're no match for me, try and eat me again and next time I'll burn you, a petal at a time.'�

The plant was suddenly calm, so she turned and left, dusting the dirt from her long dress the plant had dislodged on her.

'He's a sweetie,'� she told the head gardner as she left, 'he'll be no bother.'�

The head gardner turned, the plant was slumped glumly over the side of it's rock bed. It sighed dejectedly and he was sure it was weeping inside. They all did.

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