Concerning Djana'a ability to influence the intentions of others:
"Ydwyr guessed that it was a variety of projective telepathy and that its sporadic appearance in her species had given rise to legends about geases, curses, and allurements." (p. 306)
Telepathy is:
"'...a perfectly physical phenomenon. Extremely long waves travel at light speed, subject to inverse-square diminution and the other laws of nature; the principles of encoding apply, nothing but the radical variation of sensitivity, from time to time and individual to individual, ever made its existence doubtful. Today we can identify it when it occurs.'" (p. 304)
However, Djana becomes not a receiver but a projector and she projects not her thoughts but her wishes which then affect the wishes of others. Thus, she does not want a Merseian to look in her room so he passes without looking in. (In Alfred Bester's novel about a society where most people are telepaths, The Demolished Man, a "telesend" projects thoughts.)
Given that Djana's ability has a physical basis, we must take seriously the possibility that its effects on Flandry endure through the rest of his life.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I have some doubts, tho, about Djana's ability. That is, I am skeptical about how LONG such projecting of her wishes would affect people. Less and less as time passes, IMO.
Ad astra! Sean
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