Hhhmmm, I think there is a difference between acknowledging something exists and describing it in all its lurid detail. I cannot imagine Paarfi describing rape. I *can* imagine Paarfi describing the aftermath of such a thing, especially the psychological aspects if they pertained to a character in the story. However, Paarfi would not "lower" himself to describe the blow-by-blow of a rape. He would feel it was either too pruient an interest....or too much an invasion of privacy to the character. Probably both. I cannot imagine Vlad feeling he has any need to describe rape. Considering the world in which Vlad has lived, it was pretty much par for the course. Vlad describing rape would be like a mercenary describing the effects of a grenade on the human body. Why bother? Everyone has already seen it. Peace, Caliann Howard Brazee <howard at brazee.net> wrote: Actually, both Vlad and Paarfi have mentioned attributes of warfare that don't seem to fit this universe. Paarfi mentioned that wherever there are soldiers, there is rape. Can you picture Paarfi describing such rape? "Offense theives. -- they take it when it isn't offered." --Tom Digby --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs