So, I'm attempting to do something which I think should work, but doesn't.  I'm going to post a way oversimplified version of what I'm doing.  I'm questioning my fundamental understanding of Seam.  What I'm looking for by way of response is:
a) Yes, Brian, what you've written there should work.  Something that you've left out must be breaking it
OR
b) No, Brian, you don't get Seam at all.

Given the following code:

@Name("authenticator")
public class AuthenticatorAction extends SeamLoginModule implements Authenticator
{
    @Out(required=false)
    private WebUser webUser;

    public boolean authenticate()
    {
        //do some authentication stuff
        webUser = new WebUser();
        webUser.setUserDataOne("one");
        webUser.setUserDataTwo("two");
    }
}

And the following def of WebUser

@Name("webUser")
@Scope(ScopeType.SESSION)
public class WebUser implements Serializable
{
    private String userDataOne;
    private String userDataTwo;

    public WebUser()
    {
        this.userDateOne = "initone";
        this.userDataTwo = "inittwo";
    }
}

Assume the proper getters/setters for userDataOne and userDataTwo (I'll omit them to save space)

I've got another component, we'll call it myThing.  It'll be instantiated by a reference in an .xhtml page.  (like some tag with value=#{myThing.somevalue} )
Obviously, the myThing reference won't be made until after the authenticate function has run.
myThing defined as:

@Name("myThing")
@Scope(ScopeType.SESSION)
public class MyThingBean implements Serializable

    @In
    private WebUser webUser;

    public MyThingBean()
    {
        String myString = webUser.getUserDataOne;
    }
}

When I get into the constructor of MyThingBean, because it has been referenced by the xhtml file, webUser is null. 

I'm sure that webUser gets instantiated by the authenticate method.  Also, the @In annotation on webUser in MyThingBean doesn't have required=false, so why doesn't that cause the code to blow up when webUser is null?  Instead I get a NPE in the constructor when I try to access a member of webUser.

I am allowed to access a component like that from within a backing bean, right?  Elsewhere in my app I've got actions that access components via the @In annotation just fine, but when I try to do it from inside a backing bean it never seems to work.

Thanks in advance.