damned good doctor. But for pity’s sake, Maddalena,
don’t go spreading this notion of yours broadcast, will
yon? There are all lands of possibilities we have to elim
inate before we can act on the suggestion.”
“Such as?” Maddalena said sourly.
“Well, the most likely is this one you put forward
yourselfthat the leg is synthetic. This would be much
easier to do than a normal regeneration job, you realise,
and probably within the capacity of medical computers
such as you might find here. I’m having a search of the
data initiated to determine whether Nole’s right in say-
ing the practice is unknown. If it is, I’ll be surprised.”
“Why? The number of worlds which can’t afford full
regeneration techniques is strictly limited, and of those,
damned few would support a short-term stopgap ar-
rangementthey’d rather go for the advanced method as
soon as possible.”
“I guess so,” Langenschmidt sighed. “Nonetheless, I’m
making the check. I’m also requesting the latest informa-
tion on all the known ZRP’s. I’ve asked for fullest details
on the gene-type records which the Corps has made.”
“But you think I’m right,” Maddalena pressed him.
He was silent for long seconds. At last he gave a reluc-
tant nod.
“I hope you’re wrong, blast it! To have another scan-
dal on Cyclops will give me headaches fbr the rest of my
tour as Commandant, and if we find out that this is a
collective-guilt case, so we have to administer punitive
measures, we shall be living here like an occupying
army.”
“Is that likely?”
“Yes and no. The mass of the people, insofar as they
understand the ZRP problem, sympathise with a plight
which so nearly resembles their own. Otherwise Quist
wouldn’t have popular support for her campaign against
the policy of non-interference, and she certainly does. So
a dirty business like this could scarcely be public
knowledgeand indeed if it were we’d have stumbled on
it before.
“But Kolb’s isn’t likely to be an isolated case. And we
still have here a top twentieth of the population who’ve
reached positions of wealth and power by ruthlessness. I
said this to you earlier, didn’t I? And if you find being
callous pays, then you’re quite likely to feel that some
primitive survivor on a ZRP isis a null quantity. Who
the hell cares what becomes of him so long as I’m made
whole?”
“The pattern would be similar to that in the Carrig af-
fair, then?” Maddalena hazarded. “A small group would
be in full possession of the facts, but because what they
have to offer is so valuable, those who benefit from it
won’t investigate what they’re gettingturn a blind eye,
as they say.’*
“What?”
“Turn a blind eye. It’s a phrase that’s survived on
Thirteen, where there are a good many eye afflictions. I
believe it’s pre-galactic in origin.”
“Prehistoric, I’d have said,” Langenschmidt muttered.
“Except on the ZRP’s, I’ve never seen a blind person.
When eyesight is so valuable, it’s worth taking the trou-
ble to preserve.”
“Hmmm . . .” Maddalena cocked her head. “You said
Kolb’s isn’t apt to be a unique case, didn’t you? Would
it be possible to find out whether any of the ‘top twenti-
eth’ of the people of Cyclops have made unexpected
recoveries from serious injuries or illnesses lately? Failure
of their eyesight strikes me as a good starting-point.”
“I must be tired,” Langenschmidt said. “Or else life on
this damned planet has sapped my intelligence. I should
have thought of that myself. I’ll get the matter looked
into in the morning. I don’t think there’s much I can do
tonight. It’s gone midnight, you realise?”
“I’ve been keeping Corps time for the past few weeks
on an airless base-planet,” Maddalena said tardy. “I’ve
got out of gear with natural day and night.” But the
reference to the lateness of the hour made her stretch ab-
sent-mindedly and repress a yawn.
“What action do you propose talong if my guess turns
out to be well-founded? Will you hold Kolb here in-
stead of letting them take him off to this local doctor
Rimerley, I think the name was?”
“Of course not!” Langenschmidt snapped.
“But he’s the only evidence we have”