The Judgement of Harry (part 6)

Destiny Part of Valya's impatience had left her, as she smiled at me, as if now knowing that my decision would favor her. How could I not choose the woman that fulfilled me so? I had concluded that Pru and I were very much alike. She was provocative like I yearned to be a century ago, but extremely talented, perhaps more than I ever was. She admired my art, yet I found her work more original and fresher than mine. If I were to ever get the chance to complete (or even start) it, my new Aphrodite will be a mere altered copy of the original.

The Judgement of Harry (part 5)

The case for Hera “Ahem!” Valya-Hera interrupted loudly. I had drifted far from my task at hand and hadn't even come to our meeting yet. Even as I entertained fantasies about Kirsty, Valya was about to enter the fray and raise the stakes. Pru had two kinds of parties: acquaintances and friends, and I was a rare visitor to both. I must admit I was shocked that her friends could be so ... friendly. I have been to only a few parties over the past fifty years, since I try to stay under the radar and can't be seen to make waves anywhere. Of course, Aphrodite could wipe people's memories, turn them into trees, triple the size of my bank account, and forge passports and drivers licenses faster than you can say magic. I'd rather she didn't have to take such drastic action.

The Judgement of Harry (part 4)

Intimacy I was surprised then that Aphrodite hadn't just appeared as Pru, satisfied me, and brought that episode to a swift close. Instead, she came as Keiko, and gave me three days of pleasure I should never have forgotten, except that she fell pregnant and all but disappeared for the next few months.

The Judgement of Harry (part 3)

The case for Athena “We're waiting,” Kristy-Athena interrupted. Continuing down that path would ensure Aphrodite as my choice. I shrugged. She knew that I had to evaluate all the options, and if she became impatient and tried to turn me into a donkey, Aphrodite's magic would protect me. If Aphrodite came to that same decision, however … She snickered quietly at my thought.

The Judgement of Harry (part 2)

The case for Aphrodite. My Edsel was still relatively new then, and I serviced it myself, even at the age of 83. At the beginning of July 1957, Esther finally passed away. She had lasted longer than all my other friends and family, and her death destroyed me. She left me profoundly alone, and I expected to be alone for the rest of my life. Longevity ran in my family, and I could probably have counted on another twenty years of loneliness and despair.

The Judgement of Harry (part 1)

“It's time to choose,” she said. In the nearly sixty years I had known Aphrodite, she had maintained an air of imperviousness. Distressed, though, she reminded me most of my long dead wife Esther at her most radiant. She was the only love that Aphrodite allowed me to remember, partly because of their astonishing resemblance, but more due to being a love that was ingrained in my soul after a fifty-year marriage. “Don't you remember how badly this worked out last time?” I asked.