The Secret of Spring (14 page)

"Me? Yes, there is time before the next feeding. Step into the office, please," Lily said, more curious than apprehensive, now.

Elton pulled a picture from his coat and presented it to Lily. "Have you ever seen this girl before?" he asked.

Lily drew in a breath. It was the passionflower! Who was she that so many men were drawn to her?

"Who is this girl?" she asked casually, examining the photo with trembling hands. There could be no doubt. She would know those pale limbs anywhere.

"My wife," Elton answered.

Lily almost dropped the picture. "Your wife?"

"Yes. She is missing, you see. This is somewhat embarrassing to admit, but we were on vacation and had a silly quarrel. When the starship landed, my wife got off without telling me. I discovered she wasn't aboard only moments before take-off."

Lily listened in shocked silence. Herb bedded a unionized woman? How could he do such a terrible thing?

"It was a disagreement over nothing, really," Elton continued. "But my wife is a very impulsive individual. That was always part of her charm for me, of course. But I'm sure she must be frantic by now, alone here on a strange planet with unfamiliar ways."

"I'm sure. But why ask me?" Lily hedged. His wife was impulsive? She looked settled in last night!

"Oh, not only you, dear lady. The
lightport
is near this area, and I have since discovered that rooms are not easy to come by. I thought to inquire at the local business places, in case she had asked information there. You see, I fear I took your establishment for a flower shop," he added apologetically.

"Yes, most offworlders aren't familiar with how our different species reproduce young. This is indeed a nursery, but not in the way you thought," she explained. "We raise the offspring of working mothers while they are at their jobs."

"My sincere apology for the error. I have no wish to offend anyone, I assure you. I wish only to locate my wife."

Lily was torn. While she had no love for the young woman in the photo, she was sure her husband would not be pleased to learn that his wife had bedded with another. A unionized woman. She certainly did not take her union vows very seriously. True, off-worlders had different values, but how could she tell this to the off-worlder?

He might even hurt Herb. She had heard stories of how violent foreigners could be. While not approving of what Herb had done, Lily did not want to be responsible for him being beaten or even worse. In spite of it all, she still cared for him.

She pondered going to Herb and explaining what she had learned. It was possible he did not even know that the woman was unionized. If she was so impulsive and charming, she may have pressed herself on him. Forcing him beyond what any man could reasonably endure. Men were only human. And Herb was half human. She could have easily taken advantage of poor Herb. Lily began to realize what a jealous fool she had been to storm off in Herb's time of need.

"I see you recognize the photograph," Elton said. "Do you know where she has gone?"

"Recognize it? Oh, no. Forgive me if I gave you the wrong impression. I was only looking so intently because I have never seen a pale offworlder woman before. I will ask some of the others in this neighborhood for you, and if they have seen her I will let you know. Come back this evening." She was trying to buy time.

"That is very kind of you," Elton said, tucking the photo back into his pocket. "Until then." He made a slight bow and left.

Once outside, Elton smiled broadly and gave himself a mental pat on the back. He could tell she believed his story; he could see it in her eyes. Spring had eluded him aboard the starship, but he would soon find her out.

He had almost believed she was not at the Moon sanctuary until one of Zygote's other spies had successfully infiltrated the compound and found proof that a girl of Spring's description had been there until the day the ship left. True, they did not admit him, but they were quick to accept a new "Pledge."

The spy had searched the girl's room, discovering part of a torn photograph in the bathroom. Spring had probably tried to destroy all evidence of her destination. It was a photo of a male
Veganoid
, native of P#23, Paradise, one of the stops of the starship.

The spy had wired it and the information to Elton aboard the starship via photogram. He had searched the ship from top to bottom without result, but knew she had gotten off on P#23. Luck was running out for Gabriel's unfortunate daughter, Elton thought smugly.

Still, the search had not been without effort. Elton had no idea of the true identity of the plant man, and could hardly wander the sphere, searching aimlessly for him. The direct approach was sometimes the best. Therefore, when he entered the government building for his Visitor's Pass, he made other inquiries as well.

Claiming to be a business acquaintance, he said he had lost the man's name and address. It turned out that the government of Paradise kept scrupulous census records, complete with current photographs. A quick check through the
Identimatch
machine with his torn picture, and he learned the man's name was Herb Moss, son of a prominent local businessman. He was given an office address, but the home address was protected by the Privacy Act.

Elton had gone directly to the firm and asked to see Herb. It was his intention to say he was
Spring's
brother and needed to see her on urgent family business. He learned that Herb had taken the day off for illness. They would not release his home address either, but one of the secretaries he had gone out of his way to flirt with saw fit to mention that Herb's
fiancé
, Lily, worked at the Nursery uptown. She might be willing to pass along his message.

Naturally he could not come right out and ask Lily where Herb lived. He didn't know how much she knew. If they were in it together, she would only put him off. Yet, she was no friend to
Spring
. He could see that from the way she eyed the photograph.

There had been recognition, though. He was certain she knew something and he was going to find out what that certain something was. All it took was a little patience.

Fortunately for him, he did not have long to wait. Just as he had suspected, Lily was going to lead him to the elusive Herb Moss. He watched as she slipped outside the back door of the Nursery, pausing to look surreptitiously about before proceeding swiftly down the street. Elton followed at a safe distance. His trap for
Spring
was about to be sprung.

14

And More Lies

It was sweet of you to take the day off to help me find a place to stay, Herb, but won't you get in trouble with your boss?" Spring asked.

"The boss is my father," Herb said, laughing. "Besides, I called in sick. No one should try to communicate, but just in case, I have looped the
communiline
. It will give off a busy signal to anyone who tries."

"What about that meeting you had this morning? Your poor secretary even made a special trip last night to bring your case," she protested.

Herb had thought it the better part of discretion not to mention his scene with Lily. It would only upset Moon, and one distraught female at a time was all he could handle. Besides that, he had also failed to mention his upcoming union in correspondence with Moon. An unfortunate oversight. How would she feel now to learn she had travelled all that way to visit a man who wasn't even free to escort her in broad daylight? Would she think him as despicable as that other man who had lied to her? Who had left her so broken and untrusting? Herb could not risk her reaction.

Lily had stormed away by the time his overnight guest had fully awakened, so she remembered only the sounds of voices and the slamming door. Herb had assured her it was nothing to worry her pretty sleepy head about, and sent her back to bed. When Moon inquired about the incident in the morning, he had contrived the secretary story to quell her curiosity.

The best thing now was to find proper lodgings for her, so she could work on that thesis for her entry to the Jupiter Institute. Herb would try to arrange his schedule so he could show her around without disturbing Lily. It was obvious what his intended believed she had seen. While he might think of some explanation she would accept, he knew she would never forgive him should she discover him in Moon's company a second time. Lily was usually a trusting woman, but there were limits to her credulity.

Much as Herb admired the pale girl, he now wished he had never answered that ad. Even an exchange of letters was more than Lily would countenance. The vine grew more tangled with each new event.

Moon, as he now called her for short, had offered no other name. She had currently disappeared into the shower room and busied herself with the items he had shopped for earlier. Herb jotted down the addresses of homes that might be willing to take her in. She returned quietly and tapped him on the shoulder. Herb turned and almost dropped his pen and lily pad.

"Lily," he exclaimed, startled to see his girlfriend.

"Who's Lily?" asked
Spring
. "Do I look like someone you know?"

Herb felt like a fool. Of course it wasn't Lily. "No, that is, you don't look like you, Moon."

"Good. That's the idea. So, how do you like me?" she asked twirling around, causing the floral patterned skirt to lift,
revealing
slim, shapely legs.

"They're nice. That is, you look nice," Herb babbled. He could hardly ignore the well grown limbs of an attractive girl, despite having
seem
them before. Each time sent him into a new spin. "You look just like a
Veganette
."

The transformation was remarkable. The spray-on hair coloring gave her tresses a lovely dark shade of green. The makeup completely covered over her pale skin, changing it to a normal light greenish hue. The dress was typical of one a smartly dressed
Veganette
would choose.

The dress! Now Herb realized why he had thought Moon was Lily. Lily had a dress exactly like that one. Probably that was why it had caught his eye so quickly in the shop. He had always liked that style on Lily, and it looked just as good on Moon. In fact, Moon perhaps filled out the top a bit fuller, though it was the same size as Lily's dress.

"No one will know me from a native,"
Spring
exclaimed, pleased with her new disguise. At least here, she could be her own sex.

"I thought you looked lovely the way you were before," Herb commented, almost too sincerely.

"Thanks, but I feel people will open up to me better if I don't look so different,"
Spring
said. "You told me how many people are wary of strangers. I think this is best." She also thought Elton would have a tougher time tracking her down if she blended in with the locals. Her white skin made her conspicuous among all the green folk.

Herb didn't fully understand why she felt it was necessary, but if it made her happy, he had no objections. He knew how she really looked underneath. He would never forget it. But he shouldn't dwell on that. He had just decided to tell her about some of the homes on his list, when there was a knock at the door.

Both jumped, but for personal reasons unknown to the other. Herb wondered if his father had sent someone over to check on him after all. Spring feared Zygote's spies.

Herb peeked through the small viewer in the door and saw the top of a woman's head below. Then she looked up and knocked again. Lily.

Herb's heart plunged into his stomach. Why was she back? She didn't even look angry. Why couldn't she behave like a normal woman and never speak to him again? Of course he didn't mean that, but her timing was incredibly bad for him. He signaled for Moon to leave the room.

"It's my secretary again," he whispered. "Hide in the shower. If the office sent her, they might not understand why I have company if I'm sick."

Spring nodded and exited the room, pulling the wallflower partition shut after her.

Herb opened the door cautiously, not knowing what to say. "Lily. What a surprise."

"Not half the one I had last night," she said dryly, pushing past him, and looking around. "Sleep well?"

"I, uh, didn't expect to see you today," he said lamely, closing the door.

"No, I imagine not. Herb, I must know. Are you having an affair with that-that passionflower?"

Clearly Lily was upset. She never used such language. "Affair? Ha. Of course I'm not having an affair with anyone. I know what you thought. But it wasn't that way at all. It was perfectly innocent." He was dying on the vine.

"Buttercup. I knew it. I knew you had an explanation," cried Lily, throwing her arms about his neck, nearly strangling him in the process.

"You did?" he gasped, trying not to choke. "What is it?"

She released her hold, and he took a deep breath.

"I knew all along it had to be that girl's doing. She is unionized."

"What?" Herb was certain his hearing was going. He thought Lily said
Spring
was married.

"Yes, it's true. A unionized woman, acting that way," Lily said disapprovingly.

Herb was shocked. What nonsense was she sprouting?

"I see you are as shocked as I was," Lily said. "Her husband came to the nursery today looking for her. He showed me a
photosynthegraph
. It was her all right. He said they had a quarrel and she left the starship in a huff. Now he's looking for her everywhere. I didn't tell him that she was here last night. I didn't know what he might do to you."