On 2/27/06, K Kuhn <kknolte at ecity.net> wrote: > Maximilian Wilson wrote: > Sorry, that's what I'm wondering about, given that Sethra at least has a > reputation for being a very good general, for a Dragaeran. Admittedly, > the military mind is often mysterious to me (frex, a recent real-life > example of an army that didn't see a pressing need to secure a huge ammo > dump of boring old explosives), but I would think that a successful > general would pay attention to what the enemy is trying to get, in order > to deny them the opportunity. And if Sethra and the Lords of Judgement > believe that their duty is to keep the Jenoine from getting access to > amorphia, why did they overlook the Lesser Sea as something they need to > defend? It seems it only recently occurred to anyone that the Jenoine would have any interest in accessing amorphia. Remember, when Sethra heard about the river of amorphia, her first reaction was, "I don't understand how they can do that," not, "Somehow they breached our defenses." Sethra may believe her duty is to keep the Jenoine from taking back the world, but amorphia is only a means to that end, and an unexpected one. > Or just an example of how even very intelligent people can overlook stuff until it > bites them, especially if it makes a good story? I vote the latter, and I actually have no way of knowing how obvious it should have been to Sethra. Max -- Be pretty if you are, Be witty if you can, But be cheerful if it kills you.