When I was contacted for this assignment, the publishers balked at my fee. Uncharacteristically, I chatted them up a bit by telling them that I would do them one of my "best pieces of work to date" and that "the book would sell great" as a result. They went for it.

The reason I had asked for a steep fee in the first place was that they needed the finished piece in a hurry, and I knew that accepting the commission would mean working 'round the clock until it was done.

After reading the manuscript, developing a concept, and working on the painting for a while, I had to admit my efforts were doomed. I hadn't thought the approach through adequately, and it was time to face the fact that I would have to start over.

When I called the client to tell them this (probably the worst phone call I ever had to make), they wouldn't accept my word for it. "Are you sure you're not just being overly picky?" they asked. "Why don't you send it to us and let us decide."

I sent it in. Soon after, they called me and said, "You're right. Better start over." (In terms of my career, one of the worst calls I ever received!) It was then I realized that what was missing from the first attempt was an element that would tie the composition together. Re-reading the manuscript gave me a key clue: the aliens all had six fingers. I began to think about an alien numbering system based on the number six, and the image of a hexagon sprang into mind. I realized then that the interaction between human and alien was the most significant plot aspect and I was on my way at last.