A. Colucci - Seeders

It was awhile before she was aware of time again. Through the wooden slats of the window came bright orange streaks of a sunset. Hours had passed. She focused on Sean, how he used to be. High up in a tree, waving at her. Then the image of the tree morphed into earth, spinning in space.

Brown and white with lots of blue. But no green. No life.

She thought about Luke and Sean, Jules and George. They were with her too, poking around her brain. Dr. Jacobs was right. There was no violent message, no urge to murder. She could sense their peace. The messages came fast and easily now and she understood everything from the beginning of time. We were part of it all, every creature on earth, no one species greater than any other. It was so simple, and all this time the answers were right in front of us and we didn’t even know it.

Think of the sun.

Then Isabelle smiled and shuddered, realizing why she’d returned to the island. Everything was as it should be. The sun’s light gradually faded from her mind. She rested her head back, closed her eyes, and let go.

Writing is a solitary occupation, but publishing a book involves a cast of many. A huge thanks to my agent, Adrienne Rosado; my editor, Toni Kirkpatrick; and all the folks at St. Martin’s Press who do the hard part so I can keep writing.

For their generous time, knowledge, and enthusiastic support, I’m grateful to plant biologist Dr. Eric Brenner of New York University, mycologist Dr. Roy Halling of the New York Botanical Gardens, survival expert Skip Thomsen, and Chris Gall for his weapons expertise and editorial input.

All the science in this book is based on fact. There are many individuals whose work I reference throughout these pages in mycology, neurobiology, and the emerging field of plant signaling and intelligence; most notably Dr. Stefano Mancuso of the International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology. It is through their discoveries that I’ve been able to keep the story as realistic as possible. Of course, any errors in the text are solely mine.

I’d feel remiss not to acknowledge the late Roald Dahl, whose short story “The Sound Machine” not only scared me to death when I was eight years old, but forever changed the way I think about nature.

I’ve been fortunate to have friends and family members read and comment on manuscripts over the years. For this book, I have to thank Erika Ducati, Lorell Ducati, Joanne Dufresne, Diana Schmelzer, Michael Colucci, Theresa and Rick Merino, and, most of all, Joann Shepitka, who was there since the beginning. To my in-laws, Danielle, Irma, and Mario Colucci, your warm encouragement keeps me going.

Special thanks to my father, Anthony Ducati, for giving my overly imaginative mind some focus and a waterfront hideaway to finish this novel. And my mother, Marilyn Ducati, who taught me from birth that books fall somewhere between food, water, and oxygen.

Above all, my heartfelt thanks to Al, Rachel, and Julia for putting up with a writer in the house. You remind me every day that humanity is a beautiful thing.

The Colony

A. J. Colucci lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters. Visit her Web site at www.ajcolucci.com.

The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.

An imprint of St. Martin’s Press.

SEEDERS. Copyright © 2014 by A. J. Colucci. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.thomasdunnebooks.com

www.stmartins.com

Cover design by Ervin Serrano

Cover photograph by Balounm/ Shutterstock.com

Map by Tara O’Brien and Rachel Colucci

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The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Colucci, A. J.

Seeders: a novel / A. J. Colucci.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-250-04289-7 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-4668-4057-7 (e-book)

1. Plants—Psychic aspects—Fiction. 2. Science—Experiments—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3603.U4676S44 2014

813'.6—dc23

2014009241

e-ISBN 9781466840577

First Edition: July 2014