"You're missing the point, Crichton," Spider told him, raising an eyebrow. "It's called the 'gutter press' for a reason. This sort of rag is practically a tradition, and I wrote for one myself once. Of course, I used my own name, but that's how the hit men knew where to find me. The anonymity of this sort of thing is as traditional as the mud it flings. It doesn't exist to tell the truth or to expose its writers to conflict, it exists to bring attention to things that might not otherwise be discussed."

Spider shrugged. "I doubt very much whether or not the staff of this particular periodical are interested in a fight. They're trying to provoke a reaction and, judging by you, succeeding. Not everyone is interested in combat, particularly with the demonstrated tendency of half the school population to go for weapons instead of using their brains."