Introduction
This was the first intentionally plotted story I ever wrote. These characters reappeared in my first novel, Imago. This was also my first cover story of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Kent Bash, who turned out to be a friend of Harlan Ellison, was the artist. I was lucky one day to be able to visit Kent in his home and see his hundreds of paintings, as well as his hot rod and illustrated Volkswagen. It was very special to see the people I’d come to know in writing the story depicted exactly as I had imagined them. Since the characters were a little bear boy, a sexy wolf girl, and a guy that looked just like a clown—this should let everyone know how talented Kent is.