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Authors: Jim Erjavec
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hunger, Ramon raised his cup of wine in a toast to the cooks. "A pretty mean stew, guys. Tomorrow I'll top it with one of my ancestral specialties." He looked at Trent. "I just hope you were on the ball enough to have brought in all the ingredients."
"Don't worry," said Trent. "You'll have every flaming spice you desire."
"You know," said Arielle, stretching out her legs, "I read some history awhile back that made me think, and made me mad too. Why is it during most of the history of Men kind, females have been treated like dirt, and no one seems to care it happened?" She looked toward Isis and Richelle.
Hunter smirked. This was the Arielle he was familiar with— shrewd, combative, and self-assured. He quickly downed the cup of wine he held in his hand. The fireworks were about to begin.
"Right on," said Isis. "In ancient times women were considered property. Does that give anyone a clue?" She raised her hands and crossed her wrists in front of her.
"Hold on," said Trent. He sat up straight. "What about the Etruscans and the equality of women and men in that society?"
"One anomaly doesn't mean shit," said Arielle. She quaffed her glass of wine and poured herself some more. "Men have manipulated women for thousands of years. That's the sad, painful fact." She took another sip of wine.
"Agreed," said Richelle. "Men have kept us in bondage since the b-b-beginning of civilization. Where is the justice in th-th-that?"
Hunter smiled as he watched Ramon chug his glass of wine and pour himself another, which he immediately downed as well. Arielle was getting to him already.
"Let's not forget about the sexual repression," said Isis. She sipped some wine as she crossed her legs. "I'm trying to remember, what is that old saw?"
"I think it's keep her barefoot, lactating, and in the kitchen," said Richelle. She smiled widely, then sipped some of her wine.
"Well put, Rye-shell," said Arielle. "Let me tell you, not only are you one heck of a sediment-tillogist, but you have a great handle on history."
"I'll drink to that, Ritchie," said Isis, raising her cup, then toasting it with Richelle's.
"Come on, girls," said Trent, sounding a bit frustrated. "Don't you think some of your statements are exaggerations and oversimplifications? What about the Roman Empire and its de facto women rulers? Women of the Severan line were of great influence in Rome for about forty years between 190 and 235 A.D. Like the wife of Septimius Severus—Julia Domna. And the mothers of Alexander Severus and Elagabalus—Julia Mamaea and Julia Soaemias. Then there were the women of the Late Western Empire, like Aelia Eudoxia, Pulcheria, and Galla Placidia. They were the true rulers then, not Arcadius, Theodosius II, and Valentinian III. And the Byzantines…"
"Just more blips," said Arielle, interrupting him. "Damn, Trent. You sure know how to sour a conversation. Would you stop with the history trivia crap already? What have you got up there?" She pointed to her head. "A fucking fact book?" She turned to Isis and Richelle. "More wine, girls?"
Isis held out her cup for Arielle. "Face it, Trent. Women didn't even have the right to vote in the United States until 1920. And when was the first woman president of the U.S. elected? Not until the 21 st Century. And hell, while we're at it, why don't we ignore that over half the Earth's countries denied women an education until the late
20 Century. Most of those countries were dominated by men I may add." "Where did you hear that?" asked Trent. "I don't think…" "Those facts in themselves are absolutely barbaric," said Isis. "Speaking of barbaric," said Arielle, "don't you revel in how it was okay to slaughter women and children in the name of almost anything in those days?" She finished her wine and poured herself some more. "How many millions of innocents have died at the hands of some ignorant cause or some man's
"Don't worry," said Trent. "You'll have every flaming spice you desire."
"You know," said Arielle, stretching out her legs, "I read some history awhile back that made me think, and made me mad too. Why is it during most of the history of Men kind, females have been treated like dirt, and no one seems to care it happened?" She looked toward Isis and Richelle.
Hunter smirked. This was the Arielle he was familiar with— shrewd, combative, and self-assured. He quickly downed the cup of wine he held in his hand. The fireworks were about to begin.
"Right on," said Isis. "In ancient times women were considered property. Does that give anyone a clue?" She raised her hands and crossed her wrists in front of her.
"Hold on," said Trent. He sat up straight. "What about the Etruscans and the equality of women and men in that society?"
"One anomaly doesn't mean shit," said Arielle. She quaffed her glass of wine and poured herself some more. "Men have manipulated women for thousands of years. That's the sad, painful fact." She took another sip of wine.
"Agreed," said Richelle. "Men have kept us in bondage since the b-b-beginning of civilization. Where is the justice in th-th-that?"
Hunter smiled as he watched Ramon chug his glass of wine and pour himself another, which he immediately downed as well. Arielle was getting to him already.
"Let's not forget about the sexual repression," said Isis. She sipped some wine as she crossed her legs. "I'm trying to remember, what is that old saw?"
"I think it's keep her barefoot, lactating, and in the kitchen," said Richelle. She smiled widely, then sipped some of her wine.
"Well put, Rye-shell," said Arielle. "Let me tell you, not only are you one heck of a sediment-tillogist, but you have a great handle on history."
"I'll drink to that, Ritchie," said Isis, raising her cup, then toasting it with Richelle's.
"Come on, girls," said Trent, sounding a bit frustrated. "Don't you think some of your statements are exaggerations and oversimplifications? What about the Roman Empire and its de facto women rulers? Women of the Severan line were of great influence in Rome for about forty years between 190 and 235 A.D. Like the wife of Septimius Severus—Julia Domna. And the mothers of Alexander Severus and Elagabalus—Julia Mamaea and Julia Soaemias. Then there were the women of the Late Western Empire, like Aelia Eudoxia, Pulcheria, and Galla Placidia. They were the true rulers then, not Arcadius, Theodosius II, and Valentinian III. And the Byzantines…"
"Just more blips," said Arielle, interrupting him. "Damn, Trent. You sure know how to sour a conversation. Would you stop with the history trivia crap already? What have you got up there?" She pointed to her head. "A fucking fact book?" She turned to Isis and Richelle. "More wine, girls?"
Isis held out her cup for Arielle. "Face it, Trent. Women didn't even have the right to vote in the United States until 1920. And when was the first woman president of the U.S. elected? Not until the 21 st Century. And hell, while we're at it, why don't we ignore that over half the Earth's countries denied women an education until the late
20 Century. Most of those countries were dominated by men I may add." "Where did you hear that?" asked Trent. "I don't think…" "Those facts in themselves are absolutely barbaric," said Isis. "Speaking of barbaric," said Arielle, "don't you revel in how it was okay to slaughter women and children in the name of almost anything in those days?" She finished her wine and poured herself some more. "How many millions of innocents have died at the hands of some ignorant cause or some man's
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