message 0066

• Speculations on Goldtooth, Jik and Haisi

>From: Lesley Grant <lgrant>
>Subject: cherryhlist
>Date: Thu, 14 Jan 93 9:38:11 GMT

Jo said:
> 	If one assumes there the interstellar machiniscations of the
> Compact have not reached the order of complexity leading up to the
> creation of Pyanfar as the Mekh-hakit, I wouldn't say it is likely
> that a "special forces" insitution existed to create the class of
> agents typified by Goldtooth, Jik and Haisi. This would make it likely
> that they must come from either a merchant or a military background
> (pirate?). My money is on Goldtooth being a prior merchant and Jik
> a prior military. Haisi? Maybe he was a customs official on some
> border station and his personage thought that would make a good
> background. Seems she got it wrong.

	We-ell, ok. Goldtooth as a merchanter, yes. Jik as military,
yes, definetly. Haisi....seems to me more like a petty criminal, perhaps
a pirate?
	What _does_ make a good agent? Why are certain people picked? I
could see Goldtooth being recruited because he's charismatic -- perhaps
to stop him becoming a Personage himself. He's the only truely charismatic
mahe we are shown. Jik is a very sensible sort of fellow, and probably a
better agent qua agent (de facto better of course, as it was his plan that
was seen to have worked). He worked with his brain, Goldtooth used his
charisma -- which seems to have vanished at the end of _Chanur's Homecoming_
when he has failed.  As for Haisi, well, Vikktakkht will undoubtably show 
him a thing or two!

				Lesley