It was schoolbook French; the precise, formal kind you learn only in
classrooms from people who've never walked the streets of France.
"You had a good teacher," said Cade. "Human or machine?"
As they entered the Orchid Ballroom, Mandi said, "My language teacher was a
computer about the size of this hotel."
"I'll bet most of it was empty space; mostly just places for people to hook
up to it or whatever."
Choosing a pair of chairs in the third row, Mandi said, "You'd win that
bet."
A woman tapped on a water glass to start the panel introductions. Reps from
two small presses and three self-published authors gave their names and credits,
then the moderator -- a woman who'd written two PG-13 novels and self-published
them -- opened the floor to questions.
The first question came from a woman in row two, who asked, "Why is it that
women in science fiction are always portrayed only as victims, goddesses, or
demons?"
One of the small-press reps, a guy named Donovan, said, "They aren't,
actually. Most women in sf are used as support characters, just as they are in
movies and music videos.
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