Halfway Human — Carolyn Ives Gilman

Tedla is young, beautiful, and blond--but it is neither he nor she. And Tedla has a remarkable story to tell of witchcraft, lust, and rebellion on a far-off closed world which has taken its own evolutionary path. There, an asexual class of "blands" exists to serve their fellow humans, protected and isolated from contact with the rest of the universe. There is no record of any bland ever leaving its sheltered homeworld. Until now. For Tedla has been found in an abandoned alley light-years away from the planet of its birth. And it has just tried to commit suicide.

Val is an expert in alien cultures who has never seen a bland before. Helping it recuperate will be satisfying to her, both professionally and personally. But Val has no idea what shocking truths are hidden inside this sexless, tormented creature. As Val peels away the emotional barriers Tedla has erected, she hears the tale of an innocent caught up in unspeakable crimes and unthinkable actions. There are reasons Tedla's world keeps its face hidden--and Val is about to discover them.