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For the Love of the Lord of the White Tree  by Legolass 2 Review(s)
lwarrenReviewed Chapter: 8 on 5/9/2005
Ah, now, I like that interrogator! Subtle but unrelenting pressure and the use of fear and deprivation other than physical torture. Yes, indeed, the prisoner's will is weakening and will eventually break!

Legolas continues to concern me with his lack of concern for himself and his self-reproach. He is such a conscientious elf, isn't he? Almost to an extreme - and whenever anything goes wrong now, he hearkens back to those careless words from Aragorn and takes everything so seriously! I almost cried when you wrote how he could go longer without food or water than men - BUT his spirits were low. That is enough to wreak havoc on his physical condition right there.

I was fascinated with the little "asides" you stuck in this chapter - the information about the poison from the ipo plant and how the fishermen had to quit using it because it was poisoning the ones who ate their catch! I loved the reclamation efforts in the Dead Marshes, tho' I'm not sure I'd agree to settle there either! LOL Faramir and Co. certainly did a good job of logically coming to the conclusion that the raiders might have come from around the Sea of Rhun. Nicely thought out!

And almost - Legolas and Arwen are persuaded to clean up and eat, when lo and behold...here comes the King, and he ain't too happy with what he's seeing! Wonderful chapter!

linda

Author Reply:
Glad you liked that interrogator, Linda. A friend of mine in Indiana thought I was being a little soft -- he said if the need was really urgent, they would have to use physical torture, but because I could not do it myself, I didn't want Aragorn to be the kind of king to do it either :-) Maybe I would not make a good interrogator lol!

Re Legolas, sigh... I think being apart from Aragorn so long, and having been chided by him over the animal-trophy thing could have made him more pensive and sensitive - he is, after all, still learning about the ways of men and how to live in their world now that he is in Ithilien.

As for the poison - I didn't write this note, but the poison really does exist where I live (in an equatorial climate) - it's called "ipoh" but I wanted it to sound more Middle-earth-like so I removed the 'h'. Everything I wrote about it is true - they stopped using it a loooong time ago because of its harmful effects on consumers.

Oh yes - thinking about the geography of the area was very exciting for me; I also wanted to work around Tolkien's ideas as mcuh as possible, and I thank you for appreciating it!

andaReviewed Chapter: 8 on 2/22/2005
I'm loving this story. Great job!!

Author Reply:

Thank you, Anda. It's always nice to hear from readers - that's whom we write for anyway.

More to come.


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