A Woman of Virtue

Good old Sybil, he told himself...Her female forbears had valiantly backed up their husbands as distant embassies were besieged, had given birth on a camel back or in the shade of a stricken elephant, had handed around little gold-wrapped chocolates while trolls were trying to break into the compound, or had merely stayed at home and nursed such bits of husbands and sons that made it back from endless wars. The result was a species of woman, who, when duty called, turned into solid steel.

-Terry Pratchett, Thud, 230.