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her back down the dusky spiral stairway to the ground floor.
    They came to a comfortable family room. A woman vaguely reminiscent of a pony met them there. “I am MareAnn, Designated Wife of the Month. Are you sure you want that potion? It will enable you to speak, if you know our language, and Ann Droid says you do, but—”
    Astrid nodded without looking directly at her. MareAnn presented her with a sealed vial. Astrid took it between her front paws, nipped off the cap, and gulped it down.
    The change was immediate. Her proportions shifted, with her limbs stretching out and her torso condensing, becoming distinctly lumpy. Her tail shrank until it no longer seemed to exist. Her snoot shrank into her face. Her scales faded out. What a disaster!
    â€œNow your form is human,” MareAnn said. “You should be able to stand on your hind feet if you try. But first put this hood on over your head.”
    Astrid understood why. She took the hood, which was translucent so she could see out but would distort her gaze so that she would not accidentally kill someone with her stare. Then she slowly and awkwardly climbed to her feet. Her balance was precarious, but she was able to maintain it.
    â€œYou are a remarkably pretty semblance of a woman,” MareAnn said. “The potion changes forms, but keeps the peripheral aspects. You were a very pretty basilisk.”
    â€œThank you,” Astrid said. And she paused, realizing that she had just spoken her first human words aloud.
    â€œYou see, you can do it,” MareAnn said encouragingly. “However, there will still be a lot more for you to learn before you can safely go out among humans. We’ll give you a room to yourself and I will help you all I can.”
    And so it was. MareAnn had a thing for animals, especially equines, but also for others, and she made sure that Astrid was comfortable and well treated. She spent many hours and days talking with Astrid, acquainting her with human conventions and foibles. One of these was clothing. Basilisks didn’t use it, but humans did, so she had to wear a loose robe when she remembered to. It hardly mattered here, because no one entered this castle casually.
    Most importantly, MareAnn became Astrid’s first human friend. Astrid had never had one before, and found that she liked it very well.
    â€œThe Good Magician says that you will need three best friends to fulfill your mission in life,” MareAnn said. “I am the first, but I am not enough.”
    â€œYou seem like enough to me,” Astrid said. “I am only newly acquainted with friendship, and don’t know what a best friend would be. Also, I have no idea of a mission in life.”
    â€œWith luck you will learn.”
    Then one night MareAnn came to her with a mission. “You have an opportunity to perform your Service for the Good Magician in what I hope is a compatible manner. A man has come who will be going out on a perhaps dangerous mission. He will need a bodyguard: someone who can readily dispatch a monster or attacking human when that is necessary.”
    â€œI can do that,” Astrid agreed. “But a human man—I would not know how to comport myself in his presence.”
    â€œTrue. Fortunately he has a female companion, though he doesn’t know it. She will guide you.”
    â€œThat would help. But why doesn’t he know it?”
    â€œBecause she is a wooden board by day. It’s a curse put on her by a wishing well. Well, not actually a curse; rather it’s a devious way of granting her wish. But it seems much like a curse. So she animates mostly at night, when he is asleep.”
    â€œI’m not sure I would be adept at handling a situation like this.”
    â€œPlease, Astrid. This is your chance to go out among the human kind with some appropriate guidance. Kandy is the one who can best help you. She can be your friend. At least come to meet her.”
    Astrid