Piers Anthony - The Secret of Spring

The Secret ofSpring

Piers Anthony and Jo AnneTaeusch

A Tom Doherty Associates Book New York This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events

portrayed in this novel are either fictitious or are used fictitiously.

THE SECRET OF SPRING

to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

A Tor Book Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

175 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10010www.tor.comTor is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty

Associates, LLC.

Design by LisaPifher ISBN 0-312-86464-7

First Edition: March 2000

Printed in the United States of America 0987654821

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This book is dedicated to the memory of my Mother, who loved life, laughter, and me.

-J. T.

Contents

1 Playmate

2 Secret

3 Sharing

4 Gabriel's Trump

5 PalliParlour

6 New Moon

7 A Tangled Vine

8 Kamalot

9 Discovery

10 Unsuitable Suitor

11 Down the Hatch

12 The Visitor

13 Lies

14 And More Lies

15 Double Trouble

16 Lady Be Cool

17 Fast Friends

18 Ant We Got Fun

19 Time and Again

20 Snow Job

21 Inner Struggle/Outer Bruises

22 Jasmine's Castle

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23 Child's Play

24 Zygote

25 Truths

26 Secrets

authors' notes

The Secret ofSpring

1

Playmate

Wiping the perspiration from his brow, Herb Moss looked with admiration at Holly, the beautiful, fresh

greenVeganette resting next to him. She was a busty blossom, with luscious strawberry lips and long,

thick emerald hair that fell enticingly to her hips. It had been tied up out of the way for greater freedom of

movement, but the ribbons had worked loose with exertion. Now she was busy knotting a tighter bow.

Finishing up the small task, she whirled around to grace Herb with a winning smile. His heart pounded

faster at the flash of even white teeth.

Infertile pollination? Was that all life meant to him? And yet, why else had he travelled to this remote and

expensive resort? It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but like so many of his spontaneous

decisions, it had resulted in much less than he had anticipated. Herb knew he wasn't above a little

discreetIp , given the improper circumstances. And Holly was more than another attractive girl, she was

quite a woman.

Her soft voice brought him back to reality. "Let's do it again!" she said breathlessly.

"Again?!" he protested. "Wasn't five times enough?"

"Oh, I know! But, you are so good,Herbie ! The best! Why, I've never known anyone like you before!"

Herb flushed at the generous praise; he couldn't deny he was flattered, but a man could only go on for so

long.

He hedged. "Thank you, Holly. But aren't you feeling a little bushed?" He hoped!

"Me? Oh, no! I could go on like this all day! Just try me!"

Herb's hopes of an honorable out wilted in the hot afternoon sun. He sighed audibly.

This was Holly's signal to wheedle. She put her arms around his neck, heedless of the fine view of her

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bust this afforded Herb. Herb was not heedless. He heeded for all he was worth.

"PleaseHerbie ," she said with the sweet pout her lips formed with such expertise. Her fresh breath

tickled his ear, and his firm resolve melted down to a watery puddle that seemed to form in his knees. It

was all over.

"You win," he said weakly. "But this is the last time today-or at least until after lunch." He braced himself.

"Take your position!"

Holly squealed with girlish glee and scampered to the other side of the nets to retrieve her stringed bat.

"My serve!" she called gaily, giving the small yellow ball a swat. It bounced neatly up and across to meet

Herb's bat for a quick return. Their sixth match of the day was on.

Holly was one of several playmates Herb had met since coming to the city of Avocado for an extended

vacation. Elite Club Algae was a small resort spa by Sea Weed for the idle, rich, and bored of this part

of P#23. Herb added "the confused" for his category, for now that he was here, he hardly knew why.

The club had been touted in the colorful brochure as a hot bed for singles, but the actual selection, in his

opinion, left much to be desired. First there was Rosy, who had attached herself to him the first day he

arrived. While she was a sweet, friendly girl with a pretty face, she also happened to be there for the

serious purpose of dropping over a hundred and fifty pounds at the exclusive spa. Clearly, too much

woman for him.

Then, there was the dark exotic Flora, a winsome widow, who kept dropping hints ofIp . Tempting, yet

he had the uncomfortable feeling that she regarded the resort as a shopping center for husband number

four. Or was it five? And what had happened to the other three anyway? There was covert talk of poison

ivy. Probably just pool gossip, but why take chances? True, she was mysteriously attractive, yet there

was something in her eyes when she looked at him. Something unsavory that reminded him of the hungry

glance of a big garden spider patiently awaiting the right moment to pounce.

Most of the others he had met had been the usual garden-variety types one would expect to meet at a

singles resort. Just pretty, pleasant girls, hoping to meet a cute boy they could take back home to meet

their parents. They claimed to be there for the moment, for a good time, but Herb was not deceived. He

had seen that look before, on girls at home. On the face of one girl in particular. Those girls were just like

her. Herb was getting thoroughly disgusted with his big adventure. If he had wanted a "nice" girl, he

would have stayed at home and dated Lily.

He had left to find more. Whatever that was. Since his arrival a couple of weeks ago the wildest thing he

had swung with had been a gourd club on the neatly mown greens. Holly had been the most promising of

the group. Had been. Just hisluck, that she had turned out to be a ten nets nut. These daily marathon

matches had to stop! By the time he satisfied her insatiable lust for the silly game he was too tired for

more pleasurable recreation. A thing like that could stunt a man's growth.

He hadIp with Holly only once after a long, romantic boat cruise beneath the misty tri-moons, and that

had been almost a week before. They had stopped into the Algae Bar afterward where she had quaffed

down more than a few drinks of distilled water before Herb had noticed the effect they were having on

her. Oh, they looked harmless enough with their carrot sticks and little umbrella trees, but cumulatively

they packed quite a punch.

By the time he realized what was happening, Holly was wilted. Like the gentleman he was, he had

guided her back to her own bungalow and put her to bed with every intention of fading quietly away until

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morning.

Holly, however, had different ideas. Unused to strong drink, she implored Herb to remain until she fell

asleep, but somehow she never did, and eventually nature took a fascinating course. Herb felt only mild

guilt, which had soon faded to a fond memory, and progressed to outright lust as he looked forward to

more of her company. Not letting any grass grow under his feet, he called the next morning. They met for

a game of ten nets, and his beauty turned into a back-hand beast. There had been, regrettably, no

rematch of their night game.

Herb had come to the end of his rope, deciding to give it just one more day. If there were no

improvements, he planned to push on down the coast and catch the Party Grass Festival at New

Oleanders. There should be profusions of wild flowers there.

A ball whizzed by his ear, as his bat swished impotently in the air. "I win!" Holly exclaimed triumphantly,

crisscrossing through the nets toward him. "Got that one right past you!" Then she frowned slightly. "Oh,

you didn't let me win, just to be a gentleman, did you? I want a rematch!"

"Blight, no," Herb muttered, thinking how tired of the stupid game he was, in more than one way. "I

mean, of course I wouldn't do that, Holly. You won because you're a good player, that's all."

And because his mind had wandered. She was enthusiastic, but he had all the moves; a pity, considering

that she cared more about it than he did. Looking at her bosom heaving from the combination of

happiness and exertion, he was glad she was the winner. Herb watched that lovely structure quiver

beneath the thin material of her ten nets suit as she continued to bask in the glory of her victory.

"That's what I love about playing with you, Herb. You are a real natural at this game, and I knew if I

could beat you, I would really have accomplished something. So I said to myself, 'Holly, you are going to

play until you win, or drop.' "

Herb cursed silently. That was all it would have taken? He would gladly have thrown the match long

before if only he'd known.

But no, his male ego sprang up like an ugly weed, and what had happened? Nothing, that'swhat . How

was he to know she hadn't expected him to win all the time to impress her? She was always going on

about how great he was. Women. Did they never mean what they said?

Herb looked into her beaming eyes and felt a tinge of guilt. After all, men didn't always mean what they

said either. Hadn't he been the one to say how he loved ten nets, while in reality he wanted to play a

more intimate game?

"Congratulations," he said wearily. "How about that lunch now? Nice cool melon?"

Holly ventured a coy smile, lowering her long green lashes. "Are you really hungry, Herb? I'm still so

excited over winning the game, and hot, too!" She stroked a manicured hand across her bust line.

"Before lunch, wouldn't you like to relax? Come back to my bungalow for a nice shower?"

A cold shower would be in order at the moment, Herb thought. What was going on now? He was

beginning to warm up from more than the game.

"On second thought, no shower. Why don't we make use of that hot tub? I'm paying enough extra for it.

It's cozy, but roomy enough for two," she said huskily.

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Herb decided that the Party Grass Festival could wait another day. Maybe two.

Indeed, things finally were going right. This time Holly wasn't intoxicated on distilled water, but she was

actually more ardent. The excitement of the ball game translated nicely into enthusiasm for the bedroom

game as played in hot water, and Holly was a real delight.

"Too bad we didn't think to do this sooner," she murmured. "It's even more fun than balling!"

Herb didn't answer. His sentiments about timing were mixed. If only he had caught on to the key days

ago...

Later that evening, Herb Moss was a mildly contented being. He'd reluctantly put Holly aboard the last

transporter home. Her vacation was over, but she had left him with at least two nice memories.

There was nothing more for him at the resort, however. The time had come for him to move on. But not

to the Party Grass Festival. Whatever he had been searching for was definitely not to be found in yet

more places like Club Algae. The interlude with Holly had been fun, but he still wanted the elusive

"more." It was time to go home.

Snuggling down within the cool cotton sheeting, he drifted off to sleep with dreams of ten nets that were

more like hot tubs, and a most accommodating Holly. He did not dream that in less than ten days he

would become a pawn in a far deadlier game.

2

Secret

Spring was perplexed. "Father, you want me to what?" Magician Gabriel made an ineffective pacifying

motion with his hands. "Just to help me test my equipment, my dear, as you have before."

"Your equipment is fine, father. Nothing's happened to it. Meanwhile, I have all these crystals to catalog.

Can't your routine tests wait?"

Gabriel looked pained. "I don't think they can, dear. Something has, um, come up." His hands twisted

together in the way they had when he was disturbed.

She looked sharply at him. "Father, is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, no, no, of course not, dear." But his hands continued to writhe.

Spring realized that she would have to humor him, and try to find out what was bothering him. She loved

her father deeply, even if he did annoy her on occasion. "Of course I'll help," she said.

"Very good." He sounded relieved, though his hands still quivered. "If you will just sit in the testing chair,

and I will adjust the helmet-"

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She didn't remind him that she was well familiar with the routine; she had occupied this chair many times

before. She set aside her collection of crystals and took the seat. She looked around while he somewhat

fumblingly adjusted the helmet and connections. It was important that her emotions be neutral while the

monitors were being placed, or the baseline settings would be slightly wrong. So she pretended that she

was a first time client, to whom this was a novelty, and ran her father's job description through her mind

as if it were an announcement:

This was the office of the Magician Gabriel, one of Planet New Landers' more prestigious healing

practitioners. Not only did he enjoy a thriving local practice and the respect of his peers, but he had

recently received wide acclaim for his work in Crystallography from both magical and scientific

communities. His name was becoming known over the planet, and many new patients were arriving for

the special treatments they believed only he could provide. His was a most profitable practice, to say the

least.

Given the present circumstances he should have been a happy man. But she knew he wasn't. Because

his wife-oops. That would foul the setting for sure! So she carefully neutralized her thoughts again,

thinking of pretty crystals, and soon he had things set.

"Now it is ready," he said unnecessarily. "Except for a blip when you thought a naughty thought." He

forced a chuckle that only increased her concern. Whatwas bothering him? It had to be pretty serious,

for he was not a temperamental man. "If you will just recite some ancient history of a routine nature-"

So he hadn't completely zeroed it in yet, and needed more ground neutral mental activity. Spring smiled,

and recited the ancient canon, using a singsong voice:

"Lightships, Freezers, and Floaters faded in the sunlight of a former ultra-society that existed in those

earliest of days when man had sown his seed from the Milky Way to the constellation Corona Borealis

and beyond to galaxies now unknown."

"Very good," he said. "The registration is perfect. Continue."

Perfect? Then why did she need to do more mindless recitation? The equipment should not take this long

to get tuned. But she smiled, and spoke the next paragraph of the standard history lesson. "Earth,

renamed New World at that time, had one great Central Government, utilizing the finest combination of

scientific minds available from all former nations. They banded together, achieving breakthrough after

phenomenal breakthrough. That union was in many respects, more feared than the gargantuan military

machine. For all their might, it was no secret that the real power of New World rested in the hands of the

super scientists."

"Yes, yes, excellent, excellent," Gabriel said, wringing his hands again. "Just a bit more-"

"Father-" she started, allowing some annoyance to show in her tone, though it was really concern that

motivated her.

"Oh, no, quite routine, quite routine, very good, no problem at all, just a tiny-a little-nothing to be

concerned about, no need to inquire. Merely a trace aberration in the-the attunement. Don't be

concerned."

Spring sighed mentally. She hadbetter recite some more mind-numbing rote material, to calm her rising

concern for her father's state of mental health.

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"The entire island of what was once called Japan was designated as theNWSL, or New World Science

Lab. It was so for several generations after the Great Migratory Act was rigorously enforced. Separate

countries ceased to exist. Mandatory integration throughout many centuries eliminated most physical

racial differences as New World became one large Family of Man." She glanced at Gabriel again,

covertly. He was watching the indicators so intently that she knew something was amiss. Had the

equipment suffered a software virus infestation?

Rather than challenge him on this immediately, she continued the recitation, though her limit of tolerance

was approaching. "Individualism was ostracized as differing cultures were assimilated into the whole, with

none taking precedence above another. This did not come about from any ideal of brotherly love, but by

decree from a firm dictatorship, determined in its zeal, thatmight would make right where morality had

failed." Even as a child she had questioned that, though her classmates had seen nothing wrong with it.

Thus she had become aware that she was different, intellectually, from ordinary children of New Landers,

and not just because she was the daughter of the planet's leading magician. And there was the charged

concept: magic was an accepted aspect of reality, but there were still those who looked askance at it, as

if there were something wrong or strange about it. So she had felt the dawning isolation of her heritage.

But she preferred not to dwell on that, so she resumed the oration. "New World language became

Unispeech , a simplified mono-phonic pattern of sounds based on mathematical equations. A child of

three could communicate fluently in six weeks when aided by acomputotech implant." She herself had

learned to speak that way, of course, and had become mistress of many other disciplines similarly, thanks

to equipment simpler than what they were testing right now. By the same token, there was nothing

extraordinary about it, and there was no need for a prolonged testing session. She glanced yet again at

Gabriel.

He remained fascinated by the indications. Enough was enough! "Father, something is amiss. I know it.

What-?"

"No, no, no, please, please, no problem," he babbled, his hands threatening to twist their own fingers off.

"Just a little more, and it's done, it's done."

So she yielded, one more time. "The average life span increased to approximately two hundred and sixty

years. Most women waited well into their seventies to bear children, and a woman of fifty was as

attractive as a young girl in ancient times. Thus, the planet did not populate more rapidly than before, and

with the last phases of the Great Migration in progress, natural resources were replenished by discoveries

on bountiful distant worlds." Of course the old technology had been mostly lost now, but lightships still

transported beings to the more distant stars. Perhaps in a few more centuries the ancient techniques

would be rediscovered; knowledge seemed to grow in patterns, ebbing and flowing in the tides of time.

But she had had enough of this. "Father, I demand to know what this is all about. Why are you so upset,

and what does it have to do with this equipment? I won't recite another paragraph until you tell me."

"Quite all right, quite all right," he said, looking quite all wrong. "It's done now, and everything is in order.

Now you must emigrate."

"Emigrate? What are you talking about? I have no intention of-"

"Please, we must be off immediately. Do you have your purse?"

"My purse! Father, girls haven't carried purses for centuries! What's this all about?"

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"There should just be time to catch the last ship out. We must hurry."

Now she put her foot down, literally. "Father, I will not move one single solitary step until you tell me

what is going on! What's wrong with the equipment? Why do I have to leave the planet I've always lived

on? Why are you so disturbed? Look me straight in the face and answer."

He gazed at her. Then she saw something that completely unnerved her. His eyes were bright with tears.

She had never before seen him like this. Something was terribly wrong.

"Very well," she said, shaken. "I will go, if you want me to. But please, father, tell me why."

"If I must," he said reluctantly. "But on the way to thelightport . Time is of the essence. I must dial a taxi."

"But why not use your own car?"

"I fear my private car could be under surveillance." He fumbled with thevidphone , but his hands were

shaking so much that all that showed on the screen were the symbols for planets, numbers, and

punctuation. It was as if the screen were swearing at him-which it was, in its way.

"I'll do it, father,"Spring said, having mercy on him. She punched in the code for a rentalportacar ,

immediate use. Then she took what she suddenly realized might be her last look around at the office,

suffering a siege of nostalgia. She knew that Gabriel would never boot her out like this without compelling

cause, and that she had given him no such cause. Something had happened, something awful.

Then they hurried out to the arriving taxi and piled in. She was about to touch the LIGHTPORT symbol

on the panel, but he stayed her hand; "Random course," he said.

So she closed her eyes and touched a button blindly. The vehicle lifted and flew across the surface of the

planet, going nowhere she cared about.

"Now tell me," she said. She had known the research they were doing was highly secret and probably

dangerous, but most of the time she had not understood anything beyond the surface procedures he gave

her to complete.

"Until this day, I have not felt it necessary to reveal the entire truth of the project to you," he said. "Now

I fear I must, with deepest regret. Do you remember Zygote?"

"Zygote! He's involved with this?" The mysterious magician named Zygote had been coming around to

speak with her father, but she was never allowed to remain during their discourse. She knew that he was

no friend by the loud voices emanating from the lab. Whenever she questioned her father about him, he

had told her not to be concerned, that it was only professional disagreement. Yet, when she had been

alone with Zygote during times her father was detained with a client, he had shown an uncommon interest

in her personal life that made her fleshcrawl .

Once, during one of those unfortunate times, Zygote had pressed the limits of her patience. Though he

had not said it in so many words, she was certain he was trying to discover whether she was a virgin!

Small difference that could have made to him; he was her father's age, but resembled Gabriel in no other

way, aside from the power of his magic. He struck her as malignant, not benign. The very notion of those

long, swarthy fingers touching her madeSpring recoil with disgust.

It was not that he was ugly or so old, for she did not regard her father as ancient; in fact mature men

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could be quite interesting. Though Zygote was neither handsome nor young, he had a charm that would

appeal to most women. No, it was just an uncomfortable feeling that she got whenever near him. He was

not a man to be trusted, of that she was certain. She couldn't imagine the nature of business her parent

could possibly have with such a creature, and was doubly careful to make herself scarce when he

appeared thereafter.

Gabriel had given her time to reflect. Now he changed the car's route again, randomly. "Yes,

unfortunately. He is very much involved, and your suspicions of him are amply justified. He seeks power

for its own sake, without regard to the harm it may do. And I have found a key to power. What I have

discovered has the potential for tremendous mischief in the wrong hands, and I have no intention of

allowing Zygote to obtain the information."

"Well, of course not,"Spring agreed emphatically. "What is this thing, father?"

Gabriel shook his head. "I have no time to elaborate on the actual nature of the information, but it is the

gate to great riches, absolute power, and forbidden knowledge. Reason enough for any number of

ambitious, would-be tyrants to become interested in my project."

"Such as Zygote," she agreed. "But how does this concern me? I know nothing of it."

Gabriel's smile was chillingly compassionate. "You do know it, my dear-and you do not. That is your

secret."

"Father, I assure you I haven't snooped on your-"

"Spring, I have used you, perhaps more cruelly than any man could have. I used a magically enhanced

form of hypnotic spell to project secret information too sensitive for my files into your subconscious mind.

It now contains the awesome knowledge which will activate only under certain conditions. Brainwashing

or other forms of extortion will not gain access to the secrets, though they would most likely leave you

mindless. You will not be aware of the buried knowledge at any time, as I feel the burden is too great."

"I have the secret to absolute power?" she asked, dazed. "But if it can never be revealed, even to me,

what's the point?"

"There are two ways to release the secrets. Either I could say a code spell that would triggera

transference , or someone else could receive the information another way."

"Another way? How?"

"It, ah, um, I, that is to say-"

"Out with it, father! I need to know."

Gabriel struggled to voice the concept. "When you find a suitable young man, and are interested in, er, in

a manner of speaking-"

"What are you trying to say, father?"

"When a young man and a young woman, the bees and the birds, romance-"

"What does love have to do with it?"

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Piers Anthony - The Secret of Spring

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