HGLowe wrote:One question, though: How would the Ghatti handle people who could shield their thoughts from telepathy? And how would they read those thoughts unless you work it out with the muns prior?
Sorry, just trying to get a feel for it. 
No worries! I'm glad you're asking these questions, because it helps me remember things.
As luck would have it, this sort of thing was covered in the books! The series dealt quite a lot with a rogue culture of society known as Gleaners. Gleaners are pretty much humans gifted with just such psychic powers. Telepathy and mind control and being able to shield themselves from ghatti intrusion. They were generally outcasts of society, feared by people for the same reasons that people fear/grudgingly respect ghatti. Regular humans just don't like the idea of anybody, even an animal, being able to trespass into their thoughts whenever they so please.
Ghatti are a lot more respectful about that. Though they don't fully understand it, they respect that. It's impolite to barge into anyone's mind unwanted, and that's trained into them from birth. I think even amongst other ghatti.
In any case, people who are capable of shielding themselves against mental intrusion would be well protected against a ghatti. Not that a ghatti would try without first being given permission. On Methuen, proceedings were handled only if a plaintiff and defendant agreed that the current Seeker pair were acceptable. Then there was the giving of permission to allow the ghatti to read them during the whole thing.
Though, if a Gleaner gave permission, he or she would still be capable of shutting a ghatti out if he or she didn't want one there. The ghatti would be aware of it, and might think it strange/suspicious if such a person had previously given permission for her to read them in the first place.
How it would probably work is: 1. Need for permission first. 2. If permission is given and mind is being shielding, that might end in a psychic battle. The ghatti trying to get in, and the shielder trying to keep the ghatti out. Could be taxing/draining on both sides.
Hm. Hope that makes sense and clears things up.
