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From: okie@ihuxi.UUCP (Cobb)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: protector psychology
Message-ID: <1244@ihuxi.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Aug-85 09:48:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxi.1244
Posted: Fri Aug  9 09:48:26 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 12-Aug-85 20:38:55 EDT
References: <3186@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 38

> From: rlk@ATHENA.MIT.EDU
> 
> Rob Austein's response doesn't work, because Brennan didn't worry
> about his bloodline either and he got the original tree-of-life.

Can we be certain of that?  After all, one of Brennan's daughters
was named Estelle... and Estelle Randall (Roy Truesdales' "Greatly
'Stelle") became a *very* rich woman.  If that isn't looking out
for your bloodline, I don't know what is.  Of course, we don't *know*
that Brennan did anything, but... we know that Roy is a relative
through Estelle.  I just extrapolated a bit from those few facts.

One point about protector psychology I think we've been overlooking --
Pak protectors start out as breeders which (inferred from the book)
have less intelligence than Earth humans.  Perhaps they *have* to be
protected.  Brennan, coming into the protector stage with years of
human intelligence behind him, wouldn't react the same way.  He has
the inbred urge to protect his bloodline, but it's tempered by his
human genetic structure and he can probably broaden it to include
everyone of his race.  He instinctively understands that humans don't
need the same kind of protector that Pak breeders do?  Just a thought.

> PS  Why didn't the library on Pak have any reference to the ringworld
> being built?  It did have the reference to the expedition to Earth,
> which was much smaller.

Try this possible scenario on for size.  At the time that Phsthpok was
searching the library, the Pak didn't know about the core explosion.
According to Brennan, that was one possible reason for the Pak fleet
coming to Earth.  So, assume that one fleet takes out towards Earth --
and another sets out to build the Ringworld.  This scenario depends
on the length of the interval between Brennan's day and Louis Wu's...
and how long ago the Pak started for Earth... does this seem reasonable?

B.K.Cobb
ihnp4!ihuxi!okie

"You scream and you leap.  Great."