Spiderlight

by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Fierce, gallant, passionate, wild, merry, melancholy, duplicitous, sincere: all the facets of men and women facing a great tumult, each borrowing bravery from the others and lending it back with interest.

But believe me, most of us basically can’t talk to a man without him looking us over and deciding whether or not he wants to give us the shaft. And if he does then, whatever else we are, whatever else we do, it’s always there, somewhere in his mind. And if he doesn’t fancy us, then that’s a judgment too, writing us off as a thing without value. You can’t get rid of it. And either way it means you’re always a woman, first. You’re not a warrior, or an archer, or even just a friend to drink with. You’re a woman, and that means you’ve got a place, and a use.” She spat the taste of the words from her mouth. “And you know what? With Enth, it’s not there.”