Thunderhead

by Douglas Preston

A small plant with dark purple flowers caught her attention. “Hey, what’s this?” she asked, reaching out curiously. Holroyd looked over, then dropped the mail. “Don’t touch that!” he cried. Nora jerked her hand away. “It’s belladonna,” Holroyd said, bending to pick up the scatter. “Deadly nightshade.” “You’re kidding,” Nora said. “And this?” She pointed to a neighboring plant, a small flower with exotic maroon spikes. “Monkshood. It contains aconitine, which is a really terrific poison. In the tray there are the three deadliest mushrooms: the Death Cap, Fool’s Mushroom, and A. virosa, the Destroying Angel. And in that pot on the sill—” “I get the picture.” Nora turned away from the Death Cap, its horrible mantle resembling plague-spotted skin, and gazed once again around the bare apartment. “Enemies bothering you?”