Mora nods slowly, "Am I to understand that Geofen women are considered inferior to men?"

This time, Irving turns his gaze out the window, remaining silent for quite a while. "Yes. As a whole, women are considered no more than a commodity, a thing to be obtained once a man becomes of age, a vessel to carry a child, a servant to tend to his needs. In their religion, women are considered to be of the sea—unable to remain constant or reliable, ever changing and wild. Men are their Keeper, the ones responsible for taming them, forcing their submission, commanding their virtues."

When an ironic laugh escapes her lips, Irving...