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notice an awkward pause if you saw one? We have watched it perform an
Earth-human gastrectomy and, among others, do something to a DBLF that
Tarsedth had better explain to you since the Kelgian reproductive mechanism is
proving difficult for me to understand "
"You should talk!" Tarsedth broke in. "Every time a Hudlar mother produces
offspring it changes to male mode. That's that's indecentl"
"Presumably these patients required only short-duration Educator taping,'' the
Hudlar went on, ' 'but Seldal accommodated itself to them without apparent
difficulty. For the past six weeks it has been engaged principally on Tralthan
surgery and says that it finds the work most interesting, stimulating, and
comfortable, next to working on another Nallajim "
"Another female Nallajim, it means," Tarsedth said, ruffling its fur in
disapproval, or perhaps envy. "Do you know that in the three years that Seldal
has been here it has been nested by nearly every female LSVO on the staff?
What they see to ruffle their tail feathers in such a scrawny, self-effacing
nonentity is beyond my understanding."
"Is my translator faulty," Lioren asked, trying to hide his excitement at
acquiring this new and potentially useful datum, "or am I to understand that
Seldal actually discussed its Educator-tape problems with a couple of
trainees?''
"The discussion was perfunctory," the Hudlar said before Tarsedth could reply,
"and was concerned with personal preferences rather than problems. Seldal is
very approachable, for a Senior, and usually invites post-op questions from
anyone who has been watching from the observation gallery. There wasn't time
this morning or you could have asked questions yourself.
"In any case," it went on, turning itself ponderously to regard Tarsedth, "my
interest in Seldal's love life, which seems to have become less gaudy in
recent weeks, is at best academic. But even among my own species it is not
uncommon for female-mode persons to be attracted to males who have
personalities which are as shy and timid as that of Seldal. Such people are
frequently more sensitive, unhurried, and interesting as lovers."
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It returned its attention to Lioren and continued. "To modify a saying of one
of our classmates, which seems to apply to activities associated with
same-species reproduction, a faint heart sometimes wins the fair lady."
"It's talking about Hadley," Tarsedth explained, "an Earth-human trainee. It
was supposed to have gone into the maintenance tunnels with ..."
He had not heard that particular item of gossip before, probably because no
official notice had been taken of the incident or the grapevine had been
already overloaded with even more scandalous material that day. The story of
Hadley's misdemeanor was followed by others, many of which had found their way
to his department in the form of much less interesting psych-file updates
which were, regrettably, free of Tarsedth's creative exaggeration. He was
forced to use every verbal stra-tegem he could devise to bring the
conversation back to the
Nallajim Senior and keep it there.
Lioren was discovering many interesting facts about Seldal's behavior,
personality, and interests. It was information which he would not have been
able to obtain from the Senior Physician's file. So far as his assignment was
concerned, the evening was being spent profitably and, he thought with
increasing feelings of guilt, very enjoyably.
Chapter 10
THE following morning's work period was sufficiently far advanced for his
digestive system to begin complaining that it had nothing to engage its
attention when Braithwaite walked slowly across to Lioren's desk. Placing its
flabby pink hands palms downward on an uncluttered area of the work surface,
it bent its arms so that its head was close to his and said quietly, "You
haven't spoken a word for more than four hours. Is there a problem?''
Lioren leaned back, irritated by the uninvited close approach of the being,
and by the fact that on several previous occasions it had criticized him for
talking too much. Even though Braithwaite was showing concern and trying to be
helpful, he wished that his immediate superior's behavior would not vacillate
so. There were times when he much preferred the approach of O'Mara, who was,
at least, consistently nasty.
At the adjacent desk, Cha Thrat was concentrating even more intently on its
screen as it pretended not to listen. For some reason Lioren's problems, and
some of his suggested solutions, had been a source of considerable amusement
over the past few days, but this time it was going to be disappointed.
"The reason for my silence," he replied, "is that I was con- centrating on
clearing the routine work so as to have more time available for Seldal. There
is no specific problem, merely a discouraging lack of progress in every
direction."
Braithwaite removed its hands from his desk and straightened up. Showing its
teeth, it asked, "In which direction are you progressing least?"
Lioren made the Gesture of Impatience with two of his medial limbs and said,
"It is difficult to quantify negative progress. Over the past few days I have
observed Seldal's performance of major surgery and discussed the subject's
behavior with other observers, during which information emerged which was not
available from its psych file. The new material is based on unsupported gossip
and may not be entirely factual. The subject is highly respected and popular
among its medical subordinates. This popularity seems to be deserved rather
than deliberately sought. I cannot find any abnormality in this entity."
"Obviously that is not your final conclusion," said Braithwaite, "or you
wouldn't be trying to free more time for the investigation. How do you plan to
spend this time?"
Lioren thought for a moment, then said, "Since it will not always be possible
to question observers or its OR staff without revealing the reason for my
questions, I shall have to ask "
"No!" Braithwaite said sharply, the hairy crescents on its face lowering so
that they almost hid its eyes. "You must not question the subject directly. If
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you should discover anything amiss, report it to O'Mara and do or say nothing
to
Seldal itself. You will please remember that."
"I am unlikely to forget," Lioren said quietly, "what happened the last time I
used my initiative."
For a moment there was neither sound nor movement from Cha Thrat or
Braithwaite, but the Earth-human's facial pigmentation was deepening in color.
Lioren went on. "I was about to say that I would have to question Seldal's
patients, discreetly, in the hope of detecting by hearsay any unusual changes
in the subject's behavior during its visits before and after surgery. For this
I need a list and present locations of Seldal's post-op patients and the
timing of its ward rounds so that I can talk to them without meeting the
subject itself. To
avoid comment by the ward staff concerned it would be better if someone other
than myself requested this information."
Braithwaite nodded its head.' 'A sensible precaution. But what will be your
excuse for speaking to these patients and for talking to them about Seldal?''
"The reason I shall give for visiting them," Lioren replied, "will be to ask
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