SOLVED. Short Story from the 1970's

[Marie]

So I've been looking for this short story that I read in a short story collection from the 1970's. At one point I thought that Ursula LeGuin had either written this story (I wrote to her - she didn't write it), or possibly she edited a collection of short stories. I've been looking for this for about 25 years off and on, so if anybody knows anything about this, I would be thrilled.

The plot involved a teenaged girl, heavy, unpopular, (her boobs were "big, like balloons") etc., who somehow meets a traveler from the future. This is a woman with an afro, so I'm assuming she is black? But I think the girl is white, and she finds out that this woman is her granddaughter, and a soldier off sorts in a revolution/war happening in the future. For some reason Eloi and Morgoths may come into play.

The woman is called "Cecelia" or something similar. She is a fierce fighter, has an affair with a handyman or plumber or somebody like that while in the past, and somehow gets an eye stabbed out.

When the girl next sees this woman, she has a glittering jewel in place of her eye, and she describes it as "bizarre, attractive, unique." The lady eventually disappears and the last scene or so in the story has the girl standing, looking at herself in the mirror in a homemade sort of uniform, maybe getting ready to lead the revolution that is to come.

I know this sounds crazy (so did Ursula when I wrote to her!) but it's driving me crazy that I can't locate this book of short stories with this specific story in it.

Can anybody help?

Thanks!!!!

[Rainbowheart]

"The Second Inquisition" by Joanna Russ, which appears in More Women of Wonder: Science Fiction Novelettes by Women About Women.

"You are sixteen,” she said, “sit down,” and I sat down. I crossed my arms over my breasts because they were too big, like balloons.

At close view her face looked as if every race in the world had been mixed and only the worst of each kept; an American Indian might look like that, or Ikhnaton from the encyclopedia, or a Swedish African, a Maori princess with the jaw of a Slav. It occurred to me suddenly that she might be a Negro, but no one else had ever seemed to think so, possibly because nobody in our town had ever seen a Negro. We had none. They were “colored people.”

[Banjomike]

Second Inquisition is also in the collection of Russ shorts: The Adventures of Alyx

[Marie]

Thanks, everyone, who helped me out, I have ordered this book and hope to enjoy re-reading a story that I've thought about off and on for years!

This group is great!!!!

[Rainbowheart]

You're welcome, glad to help out!

[Kris]

Glad you found your short story, Marie. Which book collection mentioned above is (the closest to) what you read?