The Secret of Spring (5 page)

His residence was nice enough. At Number Thirty Bay Lane the early morning sunlight filtered down through the stained glass windows in colored beams. They reflected softly off sparkling clusters of amethyst and quartz, causing multicolored dots to dance around the bare walls.

Shelves filled with clear dishes contained sprinkles and chips of jaspers, sapphires, agate, and garnet. Darker colors of onyx, turquoise, and emerald shone with a rich luster in shallow trays on the table. Soft pouches with more precious stones were hidden from sight in a wall safe.

But now he couldn't stop the personal memories. Well, perhaps it was time to indulge
himself
, for even the painful ones were precious in their way.

Gabriel's wife had died in childbirth less than two decades before; a rare occurrence even then. Although he had known many satisfactory liaisons with beautiful and accommodating companions, he had yet to find her like.

Even so, he had been content with his life; he enjoyed his chosen practice, and doted upon his only child,
Spring
. Less generous men might have felt ill disposed toward such bitter fruit, blaming the child for the demise of the mother, but he had a firm grasp of reality.

His wife Laurel had been a beautiful but delicate girl. The doctors had advised them against having children, fearing for her health. Yet, so great had been Laurel's desire to bear a child that she had foregone her birth control prescription and become pregnant. Even then, it could have been aborted, but she had willingly chosen to risk her own life in the hope that it might live. Gabriel loved her too much to stand in the way of her decision, and agreed to gamble against the odds. In the end, they had lost, for Laurel had not the strength, and he was left with
Spring
. To disown such a gift would have been to disown Laurel and their love as well. That he would never do.

Gabriel did the best he could to bestow enough love for the both of them upon his motherless child, and he could honestly say that he'd never found cause for regret. He had taken in
Tete
, a native of
Vertro
, as housekeeper and nanny for
Spring
. She had remained with the family until
Spring's
thirteenth birthday, when she decided it was time to retire and return to her home planet to have a litter of her own.
Tete's
kind were
an intelligent race of lovable teddy bear creatures. They were understandably popular for positions in the child rearing field.

When she left, Gabriel decided he was sufficient to the task of raising his daughter alone. Spring never ceased to be a joy to him, though he was still uncertain if he had raised her or the other way around. She was ever a precocious child and had stepped in to help out almost as soon as she could walk. At the age of five, she took a serious interest in her father's work with the crystals. The colors and sparkles fascinated her so that she could not learn fast enough. By ten, she was capable of reading the
chakras
with surprising insight, and could select exactly the right gem to prescribe for most ills.

Yet, as complete as was her understanding of the stones, her greatest talent lay in a different field as an herbalist. That had been her mother's great love. Spring had discovered Laurel's thick book of pressed leaves and flowers and began to make a deep study of herb medicine and botany. There was hardly a plant in the League of Planets she could not now identify at a glance. When she was fourteen, she had set up a small corner area in Gabriel's shop with vials of dried herbs she had gathered and prepared herself, and soon had her own loyal clientele.

Gabriel had joked that she was stealing his patients away. Spring protested it was nothing against the crystals, but only a supplemental help for the most difficult cases. So serious, so loyal, even then. What a treasure!

When Gabriel began to delve deeper into his metaphysical studies with the crystals, she had been an able research assistant, working long hours without a murmur of complaint. He was well aware he owed much of his progress to her devotion.

Now he pondered his wisdom regarding his daughter. Were those pangs of guilt he felt for not insisting she get out more with young people of her own age? A bit late, if so. He knew he should have encouraged her to enjoy her youth more, to have been less serious, more carefree,
to
see young men more often. She was not too young to think of marriage. Oh, he knew that marriage was an antiquated custom on many planets these days, but it was still alive and well on New Landers, and he was thankful for that.

His short but precious union with Laurel had meant quite a lot to him through the years, and he was certain
Spring
would feel the same once she had found the proper young man. Whenever he had broached the subject, however, she usually laughed in that impish way she had, and said he was the only man in her life that mattered. That she had lots of time for that later on.

No, Gabriel had not encouraged her, and he regretted that now. Didn't it please him to have a devoted and lovely daughter by his side? Didn't she honestly enjoy the work they did together? And time did not go on forever. Who should know that better than he? He had been so intent on perfecting his discovery that it soon became all he could think about. He had referred many of his patients to an associate, to give more time to his research and it had paid off. He had discovered a way to tap secrets from the crystals, secrets that could change the world.

Cursed secrets! If he had only seen where it was leading, had only known then what it would mean for them now, he would have done many things differently. Would he not? Would he not? That question frightened him, for he still was not certain of the answer.

Lovely Spring! She was the very image of her mother at the same age; lithe and small with soft amber tresses that turned golden in the sunlight. He missed her immensely, his lovely shadow. But the secret-now that Zygote's spies were beneath each rock, behind every tree, she was far and away safer where she was. Spring's wellbeing was all that was important to him now. He could not bear to lose her as well. It would be like losing Laurel, all over again.

Gabriel reached for a small piece of polished
lepidolite
and pressed the cool ridged surface against the proper
chakra
, hoping to restore some peace to his nerves before the next client arrived.

Looking down his list of appointments, he proceeded to assemble the necessary stones and wands he would shortly be using. This was a sad case. A young man traumatized by a Turbocar accident. Those vehicles were dangerous and should be recalled, in his opinion. Both the client's parents had been killed instantly, but he had escaped unharmed, physically. Emotionally, it was another matter. It would be a long road back for him. A complete cleaning would be called for, followed by daily visualization. Gabriel wished
Spring
were there to consult about some medicinal teas to relax him, but he could probably find some mention of them in her record book.

He set out the cleansing stones,
then
selected several others. Red jasper should improve the immune
system,
jade would help dispel negativity, a moonstone for calming, and rose quartz for love. That young man would have to learn to love himself again; grief and guilt were terrible burdens for one so young to bear. For anyone to bear. Gabriel paused, remembering.

As he held the chunk of pink quartz in his palm, his thoughts returned to a day not so long ago when he had commissioned a jeweler to carve an especially fine piece into a heart shape to be mounted and hung on a golden chain for Spring's sixteenth birthday. She was so delighted, and had sworn never to take it off. She had been wearing it today.

Gabriel started in surprise to hear the door chimes ring so soon. The client was early. Laying aside the quartz, he paused long enough to pull on his silk robes and adjust the golden half-framed glasses upon his nose. He took time to survey his appearance in the mirror.

He was an imposing figure with his six foot frame, and touches of grey at the temples. Even at his age, he could turn a lady's head for a second glance. Clients tended to respond better when he was properly attired for their sessions. So much of healing depended upon faith, and they felt a doctor should look like a doctor and a magician should look like a magician. He did indeed look every inch the magician.

Parting the inside curtains, he went out into the front of the shop to unlock the door. It was not his girl's regular day off, but she had called in claiming illness. He had offered to help, but she assured him it was a mundane problem best looked after with bed rest. He deduced it was most likely her time of the month and did not press for details. Since his schedule was lighter these days, he had decided not to cancel any appointments. He was capable of opening a few doors by
himself
, after all.

Gabriel reached for the lever and swung open the door. He was immediately hurled across the room into his secretary's work station, knocking off most of the contents and overturning a large potted plant.

His glasses went flying from his face, lost in the action, and he winced from a sharp stabbing pain in his left side where his body had violently connected with the corner of the desk. He had just enough time to orient on his attacker before going down. It was gratifying to know it was not his client, but shocking to see the hulking form of a huge yellow Martian amazon crouched above him.

The woman gripped him at the collar and yanked upward, slapping him hard across his face with the back of her free hand. It was the size of a ham, and felt like a rock. Martian females were no dainty breed, but the dominant sex on their home turf. No strangers to physical violence, they easily kept their less robust men in line. The Men's Liberation League had sent emissaries to Mars for several years, but to no avail. At least that was the conclusion, since none had ever returned. Such events were the subject of crude jokes, but it was hard to see the humor in his present situation.

Gabriel's head was ringing from the savage blow as he slumped down thankfully into the seat where she had flung him. His sight was bleary from more than the loss of his spectacles, but he finally made out that his assailant was not alone. Standing behind her were two more foggy forms, one tall and angular, the other smaller, almost effeminate. He hardly needed much vision to recognize that nefarious pair. It was the mad Magician Zygote, and his strange Ki companion, Elton.

"Zygote," Gabriel said slowly, trying to focus. "Welcome to my establishment. You must excuse me if I don't rise." He wiped away a trickle of blood from his split lip, his expression feigning apology.

"We will soon cure you of your insolence, Professor Gabriel," whined the small young man beside Zygote. It was, of course, presumptuous to refer to Elton as a man. He/she/it was neither, being a Ki.
Kis
were
multisexed
, being capable of mating with male or female or most alien species. They were simply whatever they wished, and adapted accordingly. Since Elton had dressed in male attire when Gabriel had met "him," he tended to regard the Ki as male for convenience of reference.

Elton's facial features were rather neuter as well; what one might describe as sensitive. That was delusion, of course, for there was no sensitivity in the distorted creature as he addressed Gabriel. He accented the magician's name as if it were a slur of the vilest sort. It was not hard to imagine the nature of service he performed for his master.

"Never mind, Elton," Zygote said. "I'm sure the good doctor realizes this is not a social call." He pulled out a folder from the inside of his robe and held it up for Gabriel to view. "Does this look familiar to you, Doctor?"

Gabriel stared back in stunned horror. It bore his personal seal. "Where-where did you get that?" he gasped. His private research papers, kept in his secret files under lock and key and protected by a confidence spell of the strongest potency. No one could have possibly gotten in unless they knew the magic code.
Debubrah
? He had trusted her implicitly.

"Yes, I see you've figured it out already, Doctor," Zygote said.

"Your little secretary. But she's off today, isn't she? Shopping, I imagine. Bribery is so old fashioned, but still effective. She wasn't cheap, you know. Still, I tend to believe it was the love spell that did it. Young women remain romantics at heart, despite their independence, don't you agree?"

Elton snorted in derision. Zygote, suddenly bored with light conversation, spoke coldly. "But enough small talk, Doctor. You know why we're here, and what we want."

Gabriel sighed with the resignation of a man who knows what he says is not going to be popular. "You won't get it."

Zygote raised a brow quizzically. "Oh? I think I shall." He nodded to the Martian who had been glowering none too patiently in the corner. Now her face contorted in a smile, exposing ugly yellowed teeth, a healthy color for her kind.

"
Augah
!" she snarled, moving in. Conversation was not her forte either. She obviously adhered to the maxim that actions spoke louder than words.

The sounds of hard brutal punches rang out clearly in the quiet office. They drowned out the sharp words of Zygote, or perhaps it was Elton, as all sounds became garbled to Gabriel after a few moments. All that was left was the pain.

Gabriel was no longer a young man, nor was he well. When the giantess reluctantly ceased her battering, he
lay
limp and bleeding across the cold surface of the office floor. His breathing came in shallow, painful rasps as he tried to speak.