08/21/98
Imagine minding your own business in the Xenaverse, perhaps, like Gabrielle, pondering life's mysteries as you wait for your partner to return from righting some wrong. Or, like her warrior, maybe searching for a stream to wash the blood off your hands after doing a little wrong to make things right. Suddenly the hair on your arm stands up. Next thing you know, you're in some surreal soul searching session, spilling your guts out against everything in you to the last person you'd want as your "therapist." Callisto. Brrrr. Scary, huh?
That's about what happens in these two "Who Are You?" stories. "Psycho Barbie" subjects each of her "patients" to unimaginably raw, dark self- analysis centered around why a pacifist and a killer would travel together. Even worse, she gleefully gives diagnoses with enough truth to psych her unwilling subjects into turning their world on its head.
These short stories are masterfully crafted - fluid, suspenseful, full of wit as well as pathos, with a particularly superb rendition of Callisto. Good thing, too. Otherwise you might want to sink WordWarior in lava for putting our "sheroes" - and us - through such agonizing, ostensibly deranged, scrutiny.
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"The barn door exploded inward and crashed against the building's inner wall, unleashing a rain of pungent debris from the hayloft. A shaft of brilliant winter sunlight pierced the quiet darkness of the place. The warrior leaned in, gave it a swift visual inspection, and steered the bard inside without loosening the grip on her elbow." And thus the private ritual begins. The dark one, bloody and cold from the heat of recent battle. The light one observing her partner with a "tangle" of emotions. Once satisfied they are safe from curious eyes, the warrior turns her gaze on the bard. Gabrielle moves toward her. It is time to shut the killing machine down and turn on the human being inside.
"Make Me" is a very short, evocative story that wastes no words, no gesture, no image. All the pieces are there. We've seen some of them before. Just not put together quite so stunningly.
Reviewed by IseQween
IseQween@aol.com
If you have questions or comments you can e-mail me at: prosper4@hotmail.com
Unkind Comments will be wasted.
(c)March 1998