Xanthippe (Chapter 29)

Template:Xanthippe nav Slowly, Xanthippe and Kasim toiled up the steep side of Mount Arreat. Even the relatively flat areas had a strong slope, and they always seemed to be going uphill. The fortifications were 7 or 8 feet higher on the back than the front, which sure helped the demons defending them. Even the Rogue's Pass was never this much of a struggle to move through, and the cold kept getting worse. Back when Xanthippe's stomach had started to bother her, Cain said it was probably altitude sickness, a consequence of exerting yourself too much in thin air. She was starting to believe it. Long fights left her gasping and light-headed, and feeling like she was going to throw up.

When they came to what looked like a portal to Hell near the top of a hill, going through was actually a relief. Ah... it was warm down in the depths. The air was thick, too; thick with the stench of sulfur and the screams of the damned. Xanthippe was amazed she'd ever thought Hell might be a nice place, but at least it wasn't freezing cold. This looked like another section of the River of Flame, though there was no Chaos Sanctuary, just more Imps (Xanthippe knew she was going to get really tired of Imps before they'd stopped Baal) and huge, axe-swinging Minotaurs. The fiery paths of stone over the river made a passable maze for the Minotaurs, maybe that's why they were here. Either that, or they didn't like cold any more than she did. After clearing out everything demonic, they found a chest with, among other things, a very fine-quality rare jewel.

While walking back to the portal, Xanthippe asked, "Kasim?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you about something?"

Oh no, Kasim thought, that question. She wants to talk. The last time she wanted to "ask about something" was still giving him nightmares. But once a woman has asked, there's no avoiding what's to come. You can distract them, and hope they forget, but they never do for long. The only way is to deal with it and get it over with. Hopefully, his many years of experience with the fairer sex would help negotiate this minefield, to the end this time.

"Sure."

"Um... you remember that story, about the dogs when you were growing up?"

"Yeah."

"I'm the little dog, aren't I?'

Ok, she'd finally figured it out. That's a good thing. At this point, it is very important not to blurt out "Bravo, genius! Sure took you long enough!" no matter how much she deserves it. It can take a long time for sense to get through into the female brain. You see, a woman's brain is always full of useless crap about clothes, good hygiene, or what every other woman in creation thinks of her. It can take a long time for important stuff to penetrate. So, you have to be really patient, until she gets it, if she ever does.

"Eh..." With a shrug, Kasim looked away.

"Come on, you can say it. Like the little dog that won't shut her trap, and everyone hates her because she's obnoxious."

"You worried about Malah?"

"Yeah, I'm worried about Malah! She was so nice to me when I arrived. Now I've completely alienated her, and did it damn quick, too."

Kasim shrugged. "She'll get over it."

"I don't know. Barbarians supposedly carry grudges."

Kasim shrugged. "Maybe if you rescue some more Barbs, she'll be ok with it."

"Doesn't change the fact that I can't keep my mouth shut. And these people are sensitive. Damn, they're proud. I never thought Qual-kehk would ever say 'thank you' for anything."

"Ok... so, maybe they're not acting, you know, like you think they will."

"They're damn strange people."

It occurred to Kasim that Xanthippe was probably judging the Barbarians's behavior based on their reputation -- a stereotype. This is a pretty stupid thing to do; not only does it reflect a lack of worldly wisdom, it can really alienate people. But telling a woman she's being stupid is a real problem, especially one who thinks she's smart. With a guy, you can say "Man, you're being stupid," but with a woman, you have to be a lot more gentle, or she'll blow up and think it's your fault she's being stupid. Remember: with a woman, everything is your fault, unless she decides on her own it's hers.

"Yeah... I guess maybe they're not acting like everyone says they do."

Xanthippe thought about that as they went through the portal, back to Mt. Arreat. "Maybe they're not. I mean, look at them in action. That sure doesn't fit their reputation, they're supposed to be these awesome warriors."

As they went through some thickets, a powerful earth demon and several armored maulers attacked them. While chopping them up, Kasim took a few moments to think. He didn't remember dying, or being dead. You'd think that being dead and in Hell would make more of an impression on a guy. But he'd decided that maybe religion, being good, and all that stuff might be a good idea. Being a priest would be good, if he could swing it. He had helped take out the world's biggest church; they probably don't let you become a priest if you do stuff like that. But if he was going to get religious, he'd have to start acting like it.

Kasim hadn't been in church since sunday school. The Barbs don't have any religious books up here, so he'd have to go from what he could remember. Never been much of a reader, anyway. All of his faint, dim memories of sunday school were stupid songs, Yasheef waiting outside the building to beat him up and take his lunch money, and some rules. One of the rules was "Love thy neighbor as thyself." There were others, but that one always got the most laughs, so he remembered it. Anyway, you're supposed to love your neighbor, in a not-sex kind of way. If Kasim was ever going to be a priest, he'd have to get people to love their neighbors, and the boss would be a good place to start.

The thickets had opened out onto a broad plain, full of naked slave creatures and big fat Overseers. Watching Xanthippe summon lightning and hack through with her halberd, Kasim wondered if he wasn't biting off more than he could chew. Getting her to love anybody would be a tall order. He also wished the church had picked some word other than "love"; it made it sound like he was trying to pimp her or something. Maybe "like" or "get along with" or "don't sleep with the sister of" would have been better. Wonder if the boss has a sister? And if she's any nicer than she is? Maybe he'd shouldn't ask right now.

"Hey, boss. Can I ask you something?"

Frowning, Xanthippe nodded. "Uh... sure. What is it?"

"Do you think you should tell Malah you're sorry, next time we're back in town?"

"I remember what happened the last time I tried to apologize to somebody."

Rolling his eyes, Kasim said, "She's not going to teleport you out of your clothes."

Xanthippe laughed. "Better not, I'd freeze to death."

Kasim smiled. "Hey, you made a joke about it."

"Yeah, I guess..." Xanthippe laughed. "I guess it was a pretty good joke. But don't you try it." Kasim shook his head. "Nah. You'd get back at me, and it's too damn cold. Anyway... what got Malah so mad at you, anyway?"

The conversation paused for a few minutes while they destroyed a fortress line. When they resumed it, Xanthippe said, "I guess I was saying she and the other women here should do more. Stop hiding in the houses, and do something."

"Ok. You know why Malah got upset about that?"

"I was saying they're lazy, or scared, or whipped, and she got upset."

They were entering all-new conversational territory here, so Kasim had to remember to tread lightly. He'd have to get her to question her own judgment, and that's a dangerous thing to do. She'd probably wind up saying it was all his fault. Damn, sticking your neck out like this is hazardous. He'd rather take on those Minotaur guys. But this had to be done, for her good, and maybe for his. If all those guys in Harrogath went after them 'cause Malah hated them, it could get ugly fast.

"You know, a while ago, you'd been telling me about your Zen Eesu clan witches."

"The Zann Esu. What about 'em?"

"You know how you were saying that they went into the jungle to get away from men?"

"Yeah. It's called radical separatism."

"Yeah, ok. You don't think it's such a good thing?"

"In what way?" Xanthippe asked.

"Well, they went to get away from men being stupid, and bullies, and that stuff?"

"Yeah, and they turned into stupid bullies when they got to be in charge too."

Kasim nodded, trying to straighten out his thoughts as he spoke. "Yeah, so... what about all the women who stayed outside, with men?"

"Well..." Xanthippe thought. "If they were anything like my grandmother, they could be as greedy and stubborn as the Zann Esu thought men were. What are you saying?"

"Hmm..." After thinking for a minute, Kasim said, "I guess what I'm saying is, that maybe Malah isn't, like, completely wrong. You know what I'm saying?"

Xanthippe stared at Kasim, eyes narrowing. "Malah said that women have to stay in their place, barefoot in the kitchen, and leave all the real work to men. That is just plain wrong."

"That's not what she said."

"Not in so many words. It might as well be."

This was getting bad. Kasim tried a different tactic. "Maybe their way works. I mean, they've survived on this damn mountain for centuries this way."

"This isn't about what works, Kasim," Xanthippe snarled. "This is about what's right. Women should be free to do what they like, and no one should tell them differently."

"What about working together?"

"What ABOUT working together? Look, you work for me, that doesn't mean you can tell me what to do, dammit!"

"Ok, yeah! Here's an example! We're working together, right?"

At the moment, they were going through a second tier of forts. "Yeah, and?"

"Well, I think you'll agree, I'm better at this than you are."

There was a long silence. Finally, Xanthippe snapped, "All right, yeah. But I can do it!"

"Right! Now, suppose you were in a, like, really dangerous area, where everybody had to help. Wouldn't it be better if everyone did what they were good at?"

"Yeah, but when the danger passes..."

"No! The danger never passes!" Kasim kicked over a watch tower, sending a squealing Imp crashing to the frozen ground. "Suppose there's always a danger, and even when there isn't, it's hard to even find enough food for everybody. What then?"

"Then, you..." Xanthippe thought about it while smashing a catapult. "You live a marginal life, in a marginal territory, there's no time or resources to waste. You'd have to live very efficiently, and there'd be no time for... for anyone deciding to do what they want to do."

"Yeah, that's it! You know what? I think the Zann Esu could only have gotten mad at men if they were from civilization. These women don't have enough time to get mad."

After chopping down one last Imp, Xanthippe paused for thought. "Oh, yeah... I think you're right. Kind of incoherent, but right."

Kasim smiled, in what he hoped was a wise and worldly way. "What do you think?"

"Most everyone from the Zann Esu came from one of the civilized nations."

"Yeah?"

"Malah said she wanted to... but you know, I'll bet it isn't that her talents didn't develop. I'll bet her family needed her here."

"Yeah?"

"This is a land with no luxuries. The time to think about revolting against the status quo is a luxury. When life is lived on the margins, you don't have time for that. You need to survive."

Continuing on from the ruined forts, they ran into a crowd of champion Overseers. Must have been a conference of Baal's greatest generals. As they fought for their lives, Xanthippe continued. "I'm betting Malah has traveled outside the highlands, but that doesn't mean she'd be impressed by the way 'foreigners' do things. She'd be sure they wouldn't work up here, where life is so hard. And there's a real reluctance to make changes when you're already on the edge; what if the change doesn't work? Children will starve if you're wrong!"

"Ok, sounds good," Kasim grunted, as a slave exploded in his face.

While burying her halberd in a fanatical Overseer, Xanthippe kept rattling on. "You know, in countries where revolutions take place, it's always the middle class who leads the revolt? The poor form mobs, not revolutions. To want something better, you have to have an idea that there *is* something better!"

"Ok, sounds good," Kasim shouted, charging the last Overseer.

"These women just don't know there's anything better! But there is!" Triumphantly, she slammed her halberd right through a slave creature. "There is a much better way to live than the way they're living! When I get back to town, I'm going to apologize to Malah for being such a jerk."

"Great!" Kasim said, looking around for more things to kill.

"And then, I'm going to talk to the women in town. You shouldn't come with me, it's probably you they're afraid of."

"Huh?"

"Now, setting up a matriarchal government would be stupid. Woman can tyrannize just as much as men. But we do need to change the way things are done around here, and get started on it as soon as possible."

Kasim stared at her. "What are you talking about?"

"About building a better way!" Xanthippe grinned. "The old way isn't working. But you've shown me where I went wrong, all I was doing was pointing that out. To make real changes, you've got to have a new way, something to replace the old way! And the new way can't be that radical a change from their customary practices, or they'll never accept it. Change will come slowly, but they'll figure it out in time. Now, what can we change? Hmm, I wonder if women have the right to own land? Speaking in the assembly should sound reasonable, especially if most of the men who might object are dead. Maybe it's a little too early for any kind of democratic system..."

As she went on, Kasim stared, wondering where he'd gone wrong. He just wanted her to get along with Malah... oh, no. He hung his head in shame and disgrace. No, no. What have I done? What hideous thing have I wrought?