From: rosebud@carson.u.washington.edu (June Bug)
Subject: Re: Lessa's 'leaning'
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 21:56:40 GMT

scott@athena.mit.edu (Scott D Bradburn) writes:

>(William LeFebvre) writes:

>|> (Di Davies) writes:
>|> |> Only in the first book was mention ever made of this talent of Lessa's.

>|> I believe that is incorrect.  I remember in Dragonquest, at Jaxom's
>|> impression, during the discussion of what to do with Jaxom and Ruth,
>|> that Lessa was "leaning" on certain individuals involved in the 
>|> conversation.  Now it's been awhile since I last read the books, but
>|> I believe this is accurate.

>|> |> can see the omission with the generation after Lessa, but it was such an
>|> |> interesting concept that I wish it had been explored further.

>|> I agree.  It seems to be another one of AM's unelaborated ideas.  One
>|> possible way of explaining this is that dragonriders are more susceptible
>|> to mental interference, and since Lessa is mostly with dragonriders, she
>|> can't really use her "leaning" abilities much.  What I recall of the 
>|> incident I mentioned above is that she was "leaning" on one or two lord
>|> holders (i.e.: NOT dragonmen).

>|> 		William LeFebvre
>|> 		Computing Facilities Manager and Analyst
>|> 		Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
>|> 		Northwestern University
>|> 		<phil@eecs.nwu.edu>

>I believe she also tries to use this trick on Toric near the end of 'The
>White Dragon' and also in 'The Renegades of Pern'  (Same event, two slightly
>different perspectives.)  This is when she's trying to convince Toric to
>allow Jaxom to marry Sharra, and also discussing the extent of his southern
>holdings.  I remember lines to the effect of, 'Toric felt inexplicably
>light headed' when told from Toric's perspective in Renegades, and something
>in the White Dragon about Toric rubbing absently at the back of his head.
>I think there's more, but it's hard to remember.  I do know I got the distinct
>feeling that that's what Lessa was doing at the time I read it.

>				-Scott

I think you have ita all wrong that Lessa only uses these "powers of
persuasion" on non- weyr folk.  It is true that Flar tells her to be wary of
doing it, once when she did it to him in DragonFlight, and then later
when she was doing it to the other weyrleades, or so he suspected.
I don't really think this stopped her thouhg, because about the 4th
time I read the passage where Lessa is worrying at Brekke (soon after she 
had "recovered" from the loss of her dragon, mind you) about F'lar 
attempting a trip to the Red Star, which F'nor walks in on.  It seemed
to me in this passage that Lessa was first trying desparately to convince
Brekke to encourage F'nor to attempt the feat, and then "leaning" on
F'nor directly, at which F'nor rubs his head roughly, and Brekke seems to 
realise what Lessa is doing.

Now while this type of manipulation sounds really unethical and selfish,
I think it ads more to the characteraztion of Lessa, and makes her seem
more like a genuine, though flawed, inteligent (if not extremely
intelligent) person.  This passage also shows Lessa's true affection for
F'lar, where usually she is a more private (say secretive?) person.

here's my $0.05 worth (inflation, what can you do?)

-Clarica,
rosebud@u.washington.edu