Well, I've only just arrived home from work, so we can talk about it now :)
@DForck42 so, what did you think of the ending?
It was interesting, after reading this I happened to go back and re-read some Piers Anthony s/f, and I was really shocked at how misogynistic his work suddenly seemed to me.
I hadn't read any of it since I was a kid, but the way he portrays women - even when they're nominally the "hero" of the story - is INCREDIBLY hateful.