Free Five Portraits by Piers Anthony Page A

fifty years in time, and collect any foundling children we see, and bring them back.”
    â€œWhat will we do with them once we have them?” Astrid asked. “I mean, yes they are a project, but I have very little experience with children, and can’t even be near them for long, because of my, um, perfume.”
    â€œI have no experience,” Fornax said. “I think we’ll have to enlist the help of your friends. They should be able to advise us.”
    â€œI will ask them,” Astrid said. “Maybe we should allow a little time. I don’t know exactly how they will react.” She hoped that was not a significant understatement. She herself had not thought of children until Wenda suggested it.
    â€œTake the time you need,” Fornax agreed. “Meanwhile Dysnomia and I will work out our strategy for the rescue. When you are ready, just say my name.”
    Thus agreed, Fornax dropped Astrid off at her camp. The others were there to welcome her back. Maybe it would be all right.
    Astrid took a breath and opened her mouth to speak.

Chapter 4:
Children
    â€œOh, we’re so glad you’re back!” Kandy exclaimed. “We need you.”
    â€œUh, yes, I—”
    â€œWe have found a resurgence of the pun virus! Mitch found it when he was out exploring. We must go extirpate it immediately, before it spreads. Come on!”
    And they were on their way, following Mitch. He was Tiara’s man, and his hair was as long as hers. In fact he had woven it into a shirt that he wore. Obviously he had been out looking for signs of the virus, as Astrid had. This was, after all, their primary mission. Kandy didn’t have a chance to ask them about the children. She hoped the Demon would be patient.
    Kandy found herself walking beside Merge, who hadn’t made it to the troll’s cave. Merge was a pretty girl with multicolored waist-length hair, perfect features, and an outstanding body. She was actually the combination, the mergence, of five sisters who had been separate until their hair was allowed to merge. It hadn’t stopped there. She carried her Urn, which contained, or rather served as the portal, for all the pun virus antidote they would ever need to eradicate the menace. All they needed to do was locate the remaining pockets of the virus and douse them before they could spread. And now they had exactly such a pocket.
    And there it was. The sign said WELCOME TO PUN VALLEY, but there were no puns in evidence, only awful smelly gunk where they had been melted. The virus was here, all right.
    Merge uncorked her urn and poured out elixir. The gunk immediately shrank into dust as the virus was abolished, but it was of course too late for the puns. They had suffered cruel extinction.
    They looked into the valley. It was thickly wooded, with gunk littering the ground and coating the treetrunks. What a disaster area!
    â€œThis is too big to cover piecemeal,” Merge said. “I’ll have to split up.” Whereupon she shimmered and split into five young women with different colored hair: Brown, Black, Red, Yellow, and light Blue. They were also nude, as there was only one dress and it had fallen off during the shimmer. Each had a small urn.
    â€œEyes front!” Tiara snapped as Mitch’s eyes wandered.
    â€œDitto!” Kandy said as Ease’s eyes threatened to glaze.
    Astrid was relieved that she didn’t have to speak to Art. He had learned to keep his eyes in check when not actually painting nudes.
    â€œThere’s no time to fetch clothing,” Brown said. “We have to deal with the virus immediately.”
    The five girls moved out, efficiently sprinkling elixir on all the sodden puns. So did the others. They were a fair-size group in all, and made good headway.
    Astrid was now working beside Brown. “Your ability to separate may be a problem for a prospective male companion.”
    â€œWe know,” Brown agreed. “Yet at