The Raven Tower

by Ann Leckie

the remaining inhabitants of the Raven’s house woke to find dozens of people sitting outside their gate, naked and smeared with ash. This might not seem strange to you. You are, after all, Iradeni, and so you know what a serious act this was—a public accusation designed to cast shame and disrepute on its target. But I must admit, it seems odd to me. No one in the far north would sit naked outside the door of someone who had wronged them and expect any result besides hypothermia. And no one sitting shivering in front of someone’s house would be taken as a serious threat. But in Iraden, as in the lands farther to the southwest, people in authority—kings, lords, wealthy landowners—will sometimes go to impressive lengths to appease complainants willing to do this, in order to prevent damage to their reputation and standing. It is, if not a common sight, a well-known and effective way to shame someone who has dealt unjustly with another. And so accordingly