Five Portraits by Piers Anthony

anything else. Just not one of you. Yet.”
    â€œBut you’re an artist,” Merge said. “All you have to do is set up and paint.”
    â€œNo. It has to be right. The five of you lovely women are somehow incomplete, and I can’t paint you.”
    â€œArtistic registration,” Metria muttered.
    He glanced at her. “Artistic what?”
    â€œEnrollment, entrance, ingress, adjustment, disposition—”
    â€œTemperament?”
    â€œWhatever,” she agreed crossly.
    Art nodded. “Maybe so. It’s ironic, because I really want to paint you, you beautiful creatures, and you are all ready to be painted. But something holds me back.”
    â€œWe’ll surely figure it out in due course,” Tiara said.
    â€œI hope so.” He resumed his nature scene.
    Astrid sat on a convenient stool, resting, until she saw others looking at her. She glanced down—and realized it was a massive mound of animal dung. She had been gotten by a freshly spread stinking pun.
    She quickly changed the subject. “I have something to say that I hope won’t disturb you.”
    Mitch smiled. “Your direct glance might disturb us, or your deadly perfume, but not your words.”
    â€œI talked with the Demoness Fornax.”
    â€œThe lady dog who tried to mess us up in her galaxy?” Mitch asked.
    â€œOh, yes,” Kandy said, returning to woman form. “How did it go?”
    â€œWe have an idea.”
    Merge was perplexed. “Isn’t Fornax mischief?”
    â€œShe associates with antimatter,” Kandy explained. “She can’t touch anything here without it exploding into energy. That’s why she needs an intermediary. Apart from that, she’s not a bad person. I am negotiating for her with Demon Xanth to arrange the next Demon Wager.”
    â€œI don’t trust this,” Ease said. “She’s a seductive wench.”
    â€œAren’t we all,” Kandy said fondly. “What’s your idea, Astrid?”
    â€œFornax and I have agreed to be friends. But neither of us knows much about how to do it. So we talked with Wenda Woodwife—you know, the ‘I wood knot dew that to yew’ woman—and she says we should try helping children.”
    â€œWenda does love children,” Pewter said.
    â€œSo our idea is to rescue some children from the future and place them in good adoptive families. But we’ll have to take care of them in the interim. Neither Fornax nor I know anything about handling children, so we’ll need your help.”
    â€œI don’t know a thing about children,” Merge said. “But it might be good experience for when I find a man and, well, whatever.” She blushed.
    â€œThat’s a good point,” Tiara said. “I feel the same, though I have found my man.” She glanced lovingly at Mitch.
    â€œI have son,” Metria said. “He’s a nuisance.”
    â€œWell, he’s half demon,” Kandy reminded her.
    â€œTrue. Ordinary children would not be half the perturbation.”
    â€œHalf the what?”
    â€œPlanetary alignment, confusion, devilment, rascality, mischief—”
    â€œTrouble?”
    â€œWhatever,” the demoness agreed crossly.
    Kandy glanced at the men. “You are oddly silent. Don’t you want children?”
    â€œWe hadn’t thought of it,” Mitch said. “But I suppose we could help caretake a few for a while.”
    â€œSo let’s do it,” Kandy said, quite ready to support Astrid and her connection with Fonax.
    Thus simply it was decided. “I will see about rescuing them,” Astrid said gratefully. She had feared that it would be more complicated.
    Then she contacted the Demoness. “Fornax,” she murmured.
    â€œGood enough,” Fornax said.
    But something was strange. The others were not moving. They seemed to be frozen in place. “Are they all right?” Astrid