The Secret of Spring (29 page)

"No-no one," stammered
Spring
, jumping back. That was true. Or, was it? Now she remembered.
Rapunzel
had a boyfriend. He had been climbing in to romance her. And if she could see him when he came again, he might help her escape.

"That's my good girl," cooed the witch. "Come. Sit with me, and I'll comb out your hair."

What was there to do but go along with it? Worse could happen than getting her hair done.

The witch combed and rebraided the long length of silken hair while giving
Spring
sage advice on men. The funny part was, it was actually good advice. She remembered to behave like a docile doe and say "Yes, Mother" a lot. Satisfied, the witch climbed back down and left
Spring
alone again.

She was still hunting for a cutter when the call came again, this time from a male voice. Herb? She rushed to the window and looked out. There was a man, but not Herb. He was dressed in a pastel pink tunic over lavender tights and had a pointy feathered cap on his head.
Rapunzel's
guy.

Quickly she threw down her hair and he climbed up, reaching through the window for her. She backed away, tripping again.

"Wait. I'm not who you think I am," she exclaimed.

"What game be this, lass?" he laughed, chasing her around the small room.

"But I'm not
Rapunzel
. It's all a mistake," she gasped, dodging his hands. "We have to get out of here before the witch returns. Do you have a knife? Cut off my hair and we can climb down it together."

He stopped dead in his boots. "Cut your wondrous hair, my beauty?" He looked aghast. "Better to ask me to cut out my heart."

"But, it's the only way. I don't have a key."

"The witch has done this. She has spun some evil spell to make you speak such words, my dove."

"Okay, okay, forget I mentioned it," she said, holding a chair in front of her. This man was beyond it. Obviously, these characters went by only one story line and could not be deviated. She would have to try another tack.

"My hero!" she emoted. "You slay the witch for me. You can hide and attack her when she returns. Save me, you-" she paused, gazing at his pastel outfit, "you, big strong man."

"Yes," he agreed. "I shall free you and we will live happily ever after." He seemed elated at the prospect.

"Yeah, I thought you'd go for it. I mean, yes, my hero! The witch probably has the key on her. Good. Now all we have to do is
wait
," she said, sitting down on the side of the bed to rest.

"Nay, not all, my lovely," the Prince said suggestively, approaching with outstretched arms. This time he was too quick, and caught her fast.

"Prince. Down, Prince," she panted. "This is a bad idea. While the witch is loose, I mean. She might come any moment."

The Prince was busy kissing upwards on her arm, stopping at the shoulder. "Don't be coy with me, you saucy wench.
Many the time
we have lain together. I know thee too well." He leered.

Oops. She hadn't thought of that part of it when reading
Rapunzel's
story as a child. What did she think they were doing up there on those visits? Playing pat-a-cake?

"Oh. You weren't playing checkers, were you?" she cried, trying to free
herself
from his grasp.

"Thou speech be strange, but thy lips sweet. I must taste their nectar," he proclaimed as his lips crushed hers.

She pulled away and ran to the opposite side of the bed.

"No! No!" she cried, exactly like a Damsel in Distress.

"But, yes, yes," he said, ripping off his garments and flinging them to the floor. As
Spring
had suspected, he'd nothing to hide.

"This new game doth please me. Thou hast spirit, wench," he said, his eyes attempting to do to her clothing what his hands had done to his own.

"But I don't want to play anymore,"
Spring
wailed.

He lunged across the small bed and caught her at the waist, ripping open the lacy bodice of her gown. It came loose with dismaying ease and she tumbled out. Spring looked down in amazement.

"Where did those come from?" Of course, they weren't
hers,
they were Herb's idea of
Rapunzel's
. There wasn't a mirror, so she had just assumed she looked like herself, but she must have looked like the
Rapunzel
the witch was used to, or she would have been discovered. She looked down again. How did the girl tie her shoes? No wonder the Prince was so determined!

"Help! Help!" she screamed, back in Damsel in Distress mode. D&D for short. But who would hear?

A big black bird landed on the window ledge and flew into the room. It disappeared in a puff of smoke and became the witch.

"Swine," she screamed at the Prince.

"Yeah. Swine," agreed
Spring
, beating him off.

The witch pointed a long dirty fingernail, and the Prince was turned into a lizard. He went scrambling across the room and out the window. Spring could not feel too sorry for him under the circumstances.

"You nasty little girl," the witch said, turning on
Spring
now.

"Hey, wait a minute, here. He attacked me," she protested. "I'm the injured party. He's not even my type."

But the witch was not
listening,
she was conjuring up a terrible spell, if Spring knew her kind. Quickly, she lunged and pushed the witch through the open window. Instead of falling, the hag turned back into the bird and flew off, cawing. Spring wasn't about to wait for her to return.

A shiny object had caught her eye when the Prince was disrobing. It was still there among his rumpled clothing. Quickly, she pulled the knife from the scabbard and slashed it through her braid.

The room bent in half and began to swirl around, faster and faster. Was she going to faint? Ridiculous. She had never fainted in her life. She fainted.

"Idiot horse," Herb yelled. But to no avail. They were right back where they started from, the horse's hooves beating a tattoo back toward the waiting dragon. It was as if he had been waiting, knowing Herb would return to his proper role. If this were one of Zygote's preordained tales, there was no escaping the
inevitable.

Herb raised his sword and prepared for the conflict. The dragon reared upon his back haunches, fire issuing in a roaring inferno toward him. Herb knew he would be fried before he could get in one good swipe.

How did Knights beat that problem? A lucky thrust? Herb knew his luck had just run out. As the charger closed in, he lashed out, and missed by a mile. Worse than that, the force of his thrust threw him off balance and sent the sword flying from his hand. Herb shut his eyes to wait for the end to come as he fell from the horse.

Herb waited. He felt odd, but not scorched. He opened his eyes to see
Spring
and Cling Ling standing over him next to the well. How had he returned?

"Oh Herb,"
Spring
cried, throwing her arms about him. "You're back."

He was back. He wasn't going to be a dragon barbecue. But he was less than grateful. "You and your Knight in Shining Armor! I was almost devoured by a dragon!" he shouted, looking daggers at
Spring
.

"Oh excuse me, but that was no vacation you sent me on, either, Herb Moss! I was
Rapunzel
, locked in with a witch and a rampaging Romeo. It's tough all over, okay?" She glared at him.

"Oh," Herb said, remembering his own fantasy. "We must be more careful. How did we escape?"

Spring was still pouting, so Cling Ling had to answer. "When you two vanished, I surmised what the properties of this water must be. It was a simple matter of drinking and wishing for your safe return."

"I apologize, Herb,"
Spring
said, having calmed down in that mercurial way she had. "I'll bet you were handsome in your armor!" she giggled.

"I cut quite a figure," Herb said grudgingly. But her change of mood was contagious. "How did you like yourself as
Rapunzel
?"

"Well, I was a lot of woman, Herb. A lot of woman." She smiled as she looked down at herself, seeing much less.

Cling Ling would have raised his eyebrows, had he had them.

"Shall we continue our journey?" he asked.

"Wait, I thought of something while I was in the tower. Why can't we use the well and just wish ourselves there?" Spring asked.

"Oh no! That thing is too dangerous," Herb said.

"A moot point," Cling Ling explained, "since we only get one wish."

"Stingy old Zygote. Anybody knows it's supposed to be three,"
Spring
said.

"Three between us. Must suggest we continue without further delay."

Herb and
Spring
grinned at each other like two naughty children. They had been very fortunate to have Cling Ling along to keep them in line. As they followed through the forest, the memory of the frivolous moment slipped away to be replaced by the seriousness of the task at hand. They had not really forgotten, but sometimes, it was just too painful to remember.

24

Zygote

The top of the towers peeped over the tree tops ahead. The castle was set upon a rise surrounded by dense woods and a protective moat.

Herb and
Spring
stayed out of sight at the edge of the woods while Cling Ling elected to scout the area. Certainly, he would be the least noticeable. Even if he were spotted, he would likely be taken for just another magical conjuration of the Master's.

Spring had heard that Zygote had done extensive experimentation upon both plant and animal life to create his mythical creatures. He had done well creating the illusion of a storybook world, and she had to admit it was impressive.

White, fleecy clouds positioned themselves next to the perfect points of the high towers. A perpetual rainbow hung across a vibrantly blue sky, and the beautiful backdrop of the distant, hazy mountains and green forest completed the idyllic scene.

"How ironic that this monster should reside in such an innocent setting," she commented. "Perhaps that is why true evil is so seductive."

"Yes," Herb agreed, "the most beautiful of flowers may conceal the stinging bee."

Spring smiled ruefully. "Guess I opened a hornet's nest for you, Herb. I am truly sorry that I ever involved you or poor Lily in my troubles. I know you wish you'd never answered that ad."

Herb realized she had taken his analogy personally. That wasn't the intention, but he could see it did apply. There was a time not long ago he had wished exactly that. Life had grown in a straight row then.

By this time, he and Lily might have formed their union, for the seeds had been sown for their well-arranged life together. His father was considering him for a promotion, so pleased was he with the way Herb had conformed to the work of the firm.

"A man has nothing, if he doesn't have roots." That was his father's motto. He was gratified that his only son had at last planted his feet firmly in the ground.

Yet, had Herb not answered the ad, he wouldn't have met
Spring
, the Moon Maiden. He still recalled the first time he saw her. Her surprise at finding him at home, and how she had dropped her towel. Herb sighed. As he pondered upon these things he knew that in spite of it all, he could never regret meeting
Spring
.

Then there was Lily. Naturally, he would not have her harmed for the universe. She had been the true innocent party in all this madness. She must not be made to suffer for his indiscretions. Aside from her innocence, she had shown herself to be a strong, brave woman, revealing a side to her nature he had scarcely known existed.

Because she was strong, he knew she would understand. When all this was over, Founder willing, he would have to explain why they could not proceed with their union. He knew now that Lily deserved a better man than he. One who truly loved her in a way he never could.

Herb knew that he had fallen in love with
Spring
, and that could never have happened if he loved Lily in the way he should have. It was not her fault. He would always care for Lily in a special way, as a dear friend, and yes, more than a friend. But his heart belonged to
Spring
.

Spring, Moon, by whatever name she chose, filled his very veins with their life's blood. Before her, he had merely existed. Now, he lived. It was awkward not only because of Lily, but because of the way
Spring
felt. There was that other man. The one who had betrayed her. Would she ever get over him sufficiently to love again?

There was the loss of
Spring's
father, and the hatred she felt toward this magician Zygote. Even if they somehow rescued Lily, Herb knew that was not the end of it for
Spring
. She would not rest until the evil magician was brought to justice, and how could they accomplish that as well?

He could not be so brutal as to force his attentions upon her at this trying time. Perhaps the time would never come. But he had to hope.