Fletcher was careful, conscientious, highly competent, and did not as a rule
worry out loud about his work or ability to carry it out. Conway was still
wondering about the Captain’s uncharacteristic behavior when a shadow fell
across the casualty he was examining.
Fletcher was standing over him and looking as worried as he had sounded. “I
realize, Doctor,” the Captain said awkwardly, “that during rescue operations
you have the rank. I want you to know that I go along with this willingly. But
on this occasion I believe the circumstances are such that complete authority
should revert to me.” He glanced back at the wreck and then down at the badly
injured alien. “Doctor, do you have any experience in forensic medicine?”
Conway sat back on his haunches and simply gaped at him. Retcher took a deep
breath and went on. “The distribution and condition of the casualties around the
wreck seemed wrong to me,” he said seriously. “It indicated a rapid evacuation
of a relatively undamaged ship, even though our sensors showed no radiation or
fire hazard. As well, all of the casualties were severely injured to varying
degrees and with the same type of wounding. It seemed to me that some of them
would have been able to make a greater distance from their ship than others, yet
sll of them collapsed within a relatively small radius from the wreck. This made
me wonder whether the injuries had been sustained inside the ship or close to
where they were lying.”
“A local predator,” Conway said, “which attacked them as
they came out already shocked and weakened as a result of the crash.”
The Captain shook his head. “No life-form capable of inflicting such injuries
inhabits this world. Most of the injuries I’ve seen are incised wounds or those
caused by the removal of a limb. This suggests the use of a sharp instrument of
some kind. The user of the instrument may or may not be still on board the ship.
If it is on board, it may be that the beings who escaped were the lucky ones, in
which case I hate to think of what we may find inside the wreck. But you can see
now why I must resume overall responsibility, Doctor.
“The Monitor Corps is the Federation’s law-enforcement arm,” he concluded
quietly. “It seems to me that a very serious-crime has been committed, and I am
a policeman first and an ambulance driver second.”
Before Con way could reply, Murchison said, “The condition of this cadaver, and
the other casualties I’ve examined, does not preclude such a possibility.”
‘Thank you, ma’am,” the Captain said. “That is why I want the medical team back
on Rhabwar while Dodds and I arrest this criminal. If things go wrong, Chen and
Haslam can get you back to the hospital—”
“Haslam, sir,” the Communications Officer’s voice broke in. “Shall I request
Corps assistance?”
The Captain did not reply at once, and Con way began thinking that the other’s
theory could very well explain why a previously undamaged ship had released a
distress beacon and then left the scene to try for a planetary landing.
Something had gotten loose among the crew, perhaps. Something which might have
been confined had escaped, something very, very nasty. With an effort Conway
brought his runaway imagination under control. “We can’t be absolutely sure that
a criminal was responsible for this. A nonintelligent experimental animal which
broke loose, injured and perhaps maddened with pain, could have done—”
“Animals use teeth and claws, doctor,” the Captain broke in. “Not knives.”
“This is a completely new species,” Conway replied. “We don’t know anything
about them, their culture or their codes of behavior. They may be ignorant of
our particular laws.”
“Ignorance of the law,” Fletcher said impatiently, “has never been an acceptable
excuse for committing a criminal act against another intelligent being. Just as
ignorance of law by the innocent victim does not exclude the being concerned
from its protection.”
“I agree—” Conway began. “But I am not completely sure that a crime has been
committed,” he went on. “Until I am sure, you, Haslam, will not send for help.
But keep a close watch on this area and if anything moves, apart from the