XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: mmikeda@erols.com   
      
   Sandman  wrote in   
   news:mr-9E9433.00202202012013@News.Individual.NET:   
      
   > In article ,   
   >  Michael Ikeda  wrote:   
   >   
   >> > Also, Sarumans demeanor and arrogance seems to suggest that   
   >> > he has already been corrupted by Sauron via the palantir, be   
   >> > we know that won't happen for 59 years.   
   >>   
   >> He would not have been corrupted specifically by the palantir,   
   >> but he was already corrupted to some extent by his desire for   
   >> the One Ring.   
   >   
   > Perhapsmaybe, there's little to give us any good intel on that.   
   > We know, however, when he started using the palantir and got   
   > lured specifically by Sauron.   
      
   The footnote to the Appendix B entry for the year TA 2851 (when   
   Saruman overruled Gandalf's request for an attack on Dol Guldur.)   
   says that "It afterwards became clear that Saruman had then begun   
   to desire to possess the One Ring himself, and hoped that it might   
   reveal itself, seeking its master, if Sauron were let be for a   
   time."   
      
   (2851 is also when Saruman begins searching near the Gladden   
   Fields, where the Ring was lost by Isildur.)   
      
   So he's already setting White Council policy based on how it   
   affects the likelihood of him getting the One Ring.   
      
   >   
   > Gandalf feels himself drawn to the ring as well, as well as   
   > Galadriel - but neither should be called "turned" or evil for   
   > feeling that. I always felt that the lure of the ring would be   
   > stronger for Maiar (which is why so many of them seem to   
   > confront the ring bearer so often, you'd think), and Saruman   
   > were no different than any other in this regard until Sauron got   
   > his hands on him.   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)