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wasessential."

  "You have," agreed Fred. "But you've always had a sense of inferiorityabout your appearance. From now on, you'll have no reason for that. Andmaybe now we'll both be able to grow up a little."

  She nodded. It gave her a strange feeling to have him put around her apair of arms she had never before known, to have him kiss her with lipsshe had never before touched. _But that doesn't matter_, she thought._The important thing is that whatever shape we take, we're_ us. _Theimportant thing is that now we don't have to worry about ourselves--andfor that we have to thank_ him.

  "Fred," she said suddenly, her face against his chest. "Do you think agirl can be in love with two--two people--at the same time? And one ofthem--one of them not a man? Not even human?"

  He nodded, but didn't say anything. And after a moment, she thought sheknew why. _A man can love that way too_, she thought--_and one of themnot a woman, either_.

  _I wonder if he ... she ... it knew. I wonder if it knew._