Steve Simmons wondered aloud to the group: >It's clear that she has a specific purpose in mind for Vlad and has >invested a lot of time in him. He's a valuable tool that she takes >good care of. And he had very little choice in being made into >that tool. She's been forging and honing him all his life, which >isn't exactly the mark of a soft touch. Well, it wasn't Sethra who beat Vlad up every day of his youth and taught him to hate elves. Kiera may have gotten him the job in the Jhereg, but Vlad took it for the chance to beat up Dragaerans. And regardless of to what extent Sethra has made Vlad who he is, the reason she's not malevolent or villainous in having done so is that she's made it worth Vlad's while all the way. Vlad's gotten wealth, professional success, material resources, and powerful allies from his use by Sethra, as well as having his curiosity satisfied, which is not an insignificant motivation, and he hasn't had to compromise what he considers important for these gains. In fact, Sethra looks remarkably like an awfully good friend. -- "Baby Huey 2099: The Incredible Huey. An intellectual Baby Huey? Yup! PAD moves to Harvey at the insistence of Ariel David!"--Lance Smith mailto:Dr.Elmo at whiterose.org http://www.whiterose.org/dr.elmo/blog/