The Color Of Her Panties by Piers Anthony Page B

voluptuous woman, wearing slippers and nothing else.  Her hair was the same yellow color, but the tresses were glossy and silky rather than crude and ropy.
    “That's Mela Merwoman!” a voice said from the doorway.  It was Prince Dolph, who had stopped by for a moment.
    “That's right-Nada said you knew her,” Electra remarked without enthusiasm.
    “Uh, yes,” he said, staring at the image.  “Of course I didn't want to marry her.”
    “Because you were nine years old at the time,” Electra retorted.
    “But I must admit that she has very nice-”
    “Never mind!” Electra snapped.  The picture fuzzed in the region of Mela's torso, so that whatever he thought was interesting was no longer so.
    Prince Dolph's eyes were freed from what had held him like the peephole of a hypnogourd.  “Oh, to be nine again,” he murmured as he departed.
    Gwenny and Jenny exchanged a glance, which Che intercepted.  He knew their thought:  was this what marriage did to a relationship?
    Then Electra got up.  “Do you mind keeping an eye on the twins for a while?  I have something to do.”
    The girls, in the manner of their kind, were glad to keep an eye on the twins.  All girls loved all babies, in Che's observation.  Electra hurried out.
    “I wonder what she has to do so urgently?” Jenny said musingly.
    “I suspect she means to apologize to Prince Dolph,” Che said.
    “Apologize?  For what?”
    “For being jealous,” Gwenny said.
    “Oh.” But Jenny wasn't quite satisfied.  “Couldn't she have just said she was sorry, here?”
    “Perhaps she had a gourd realm apology in mind,” Che said, smiling.
    Jenny's brow furrowed.  “That's different?”
    This time it was Gwenny and Che who exchanged the glance.  “You don't know about apologies among the brassies?” Gwenny inquired.
    “An apology's an apology, isn't it?”
    “I see we shall have to show you,” Gwenny said, with an obscure smile.
    “Che?”
    The naughty girl!  Che approached her.  He was seven and she was fourteen, but he was of a larger species, and his human portion was somewhat taller than she.  “Who apologizes to whom?” he inquired.
    “I'll apologize to you,” Gwenny said.  “The way Electra will do with Dolph.”
    “Very well.  Proceed.”
    “I don't understand-” Jenny started.
    Gwenny embraced him.  “I apologize, Che,” she said winsomely.  Then she drew herself close and kissed him on the mouth.
    “What are you doing?” Jenny asked, amazed.
    “Do you accept my apology?” Gwenny asked.
    Che grimaced.  “I'm not sure,” he said with a smile, playing the game.
    Actually, Gwenny was very nice to have so close; her body had become rounder and softer in the past two years.  But that was surely irrelevant.
    “Oh, you're not?” Gwenny breathed.  “Then I shall just have to try harder.“ She removed her spectacles and brushed back her hair with her hands.  Then she embraced him again, more closely, so that there was no space between their bodies.  She reached up and hauled his head down, mussing his hair, and plastered him with Xanth's sloppiest kiss.  “Now are you sure?” Her face was serious, but he knew she was trying to stifle her laughter.  It was a favorite game, to imitate the foolish things adults did.
    He stifled his own mirth.  “Well-”
    “Enough!” Jenny cried, giggling.  The twins seemed to be smiling, too, watching the apology instead of the Tapestry So was Sammy.  “You mean that's what Electra and Dolph are doing now?  Kissing?”
    “More than that, I think,” Gwenny said with mock gravity as she recovered her spectacles so that she could see clearly again.  “But I'm not partial to the Adult Conspiracy, so I don't know what.  I suppose they enjoy it, though.”
    “That Adult Conspiracy is such a bore,” Jenny said.
    “What is it they think should be such a big secret?”
    “I'm sure I don't know,” Gwenny said.  “But it seems to relate to why men like to look at