Alison Smith - Avalon 'Working Girl'
Actress - Neve McIntosh	Picture by Jan

Alison's Twenty Questions

1 - What country are you from?
Avalon, as far as I know.

2 - How would you physically describe yourself?
If I do say so myself, I am quite the beauty. Oh, not the painted, fragile court sort of beauty – more the wildflower than the hothouse bloom.

3 - Do you have any recurring mannerisms?
Aside from the double-entendre?

4 - What is your main motivation?
I’d like to make a name for myself somewhere along the line. Oh, true, my current calling isn’t exactly the best way to do that, but someone out there knows who I am, and that’s the main thing.

5 - What is your greatest strength, and weakness?
Oh, I’m a terrible flirt, and I’ve got a bit of a wild streak that’s forever getting me into mischief. But on the plus side, I’m lots of fun to have around, and if you stay on my good side, I’ll defend you to the death.

6 - What are your most and least favourite things?
I like to be comfortable. I hate being patronised.

7 - What is your psychology?
I see women all the time who are so desperately afraid of spreading their wings and flying. I like to think I set a good example; that I prove that women can be strong, be independent, be their own person and, even if they’re ‘reduced to selling their bodies’, as some people put it, they can do it on their own terms. It also seems as though, having a clean slate and all, I should just fill it with whatever I please, given that I have no social level to rise to.

8 - What is your single greatest fear?
My past, I suppose. Anything you know nothing about is always going to scare you witless, isn’t it?

9 - What are your highest ambitions, and greatest love?
I want to go everywhere and see everything. I want to help people who are fettered by society’s unreasonable expectations. My greatest love is my freedom.

10 - What is your opinion of your country?
Cheerful little place, isn’t it? Well, the weather’s a bit miserable sometimes, but it’s better than Eisen. And the ruler’s a woman, which I can respect. I feel comfortable there, which I suppose is important.

11 - Do you have any prejudices?
I can’t really afford to, in my line of work. All men are created … well, more or less equal, anyway. All the same, though I can’t admit it, the Vodacce way of doing things makes my skin crawl. Whoever thought up all that nonsense about the way they treat their women should be dragged out into the street and shot.

12 - Where do your loyalties lie?
I’m loyal more to causes and ideas than I am to any one person at the moment. The Lady, of course; my fellows in my public guise and my private. I’m quite fond of Viola and Richard, of course.

13 - Are you in love, betrothed or even married?
That would be amusing, wouldn’t it? Oh, no; love’s not something I actively seek, though I give a good imitation of it when the price is right.

14 - What is your family like?
I don’t know, and I’ve never been troubled about that, frankly.

15 - How would your parents describe you?
More than likely, my public face would meet with nothing but scorn and derision from them. They’d think me a wanton and a harlot, I’d think them a bunch of uptight stiffs with the imagination of a brood mare, and we’d hate each other.

16 - Are you a gentleman/woman?
Great Theus, I doubt it!

17 - How religious are you, and which church sect do you follow?
More religious than I want to be, and Objectionist to the very core. The priests are well and good, but frankly, I’ve seen enough of them; they’re men as any other man, so what right have they to channel the divine?

18 - Are you a member of a guild, gentleman’s club or secret society?
Member in good standing of the Jennys Guild; one of those wanton travelling ones, and I make a fair living at it, all things considered. And, hush-hush of course, but I am affiliated with Sophia’s Daughters.

19 - What do you think of sorcery?
Useful stuff, from all I’ve seen. I don’t truly see what problem the priests have got with it, actually. Well, all right, that Sorte Strega stuff is frankly a little scary, and Porté looks a bit disgusting, but overall, it’s not bad stuff.

20 - What advice do you need to hear?
Try not to get too full of yourself, lest it come back to bite you in the arse.