own DCNF classification, bears any resemblance to a Gogleskan FOKT. After that
Hudlar limb-for-a-limb business, I’m surprised you want to take the
responsibility.”
“If this goes wrong,” Naydrad joined in, its furtwitching with concern, “if the
patient or newborn terminate, I don’t know what piece of medical melodrama you
will pull in atonement. Better keep out of this.”
“I don’t know why,” Danalta said, in a tone that suggested that its feelings
were hurt, “it prefers an ungainly, stiff-boned life-form like Cha Thrat to me.”
“The reason,” Khone said, making them realize that they had forgotten to switch
off the probe’s communicator, “is degrading and probably insulting to the being
concerned, but it should be mentioned in case the Som-maradvan finds it
necessary to withdraw its offer.”
Khone went on. “There are physical, psychological, and perhaps ridiculous
reasons why this being might closely approach, but not touch except with
long-handled instruments, the patient.”
There were few visual similarities between the FOKT and DCNF classifications,
Khone explained, except in the eyes of very young Gogleskans who tried to make
models of their parents. But the mass of hair covering the ovoid body, the four
short, splayed-out legs, the digital clusters, and the four long, cranial
stings, were beyond their sculptoring skill. Instead they produced lumpy,
conical shapes made from mud and grass, into which they stuck twigs that were
not always straight or of uniform thickness. The results, on a much smaller
scale, had a distinct resemblance to the body configuration of a Sommaradvan.
These crudely fashioned models were fabricated during the years preceding the
change from childhood to maturity, when the young adult’s stings became a threat
to its parent’s life, and they were kept and treasured by both parent and
offspring as reminders of the only times in their lives when they could feel in
safety the warmth and closeness of extended contact with another of their kind.
It was a memory that, in their later and incredibly lonely adult lives, helped
keep them sane.
Murchison was the first to react after Khone finished speaking. The Pathologist
looked at Cha Thrat and said incredulously, “1 think it is telling us that you
look like an oversized Gogleskan equivalent of an Earth teddy bear!”
Wainright gave a nervous laugh, and the others did not react. Probably they were
as ignorant about teddy bears as Cha Thrat was. However, if the creature
resembled her in many ways, it could not be entirely unbeauti-ful.
“The Sommaradvan is willing to assist,” Cha Thrat said, “and offense has
not’been taken.”
“And neither,” Prilicla said, turning its eyes toward her, “will responsibility
be taken.”
The musical trills and clickings that were the Cinruss-kin’s native speech
changed in pitch, and for the first time in Cha Thrat’s experience the little
empath’s translated words carried the firmness and authority of a ruler as it
went on. “Unless the Sommaradvan can give an unqualified assurance that there is
no possibility of a recurrence of the Hudlar amputation, the’Sommaradvan will
not be allowed to assist.
“The healer-maintenance technician is being used for one reason only,” it
continued, “because the close proximity of the more experienced healers is
contraindicated for this patient. It will consider itself simply as an organic
probe whose mind, sensors, and digits are under the direction of the Senior
Physician, who accepts sole responsibility for treatment and subsequent fate of
the patient. Is this clearly understood?”
The idea of sharing or, in this instance, completely relegating responsibility
for her actions to another person was repugnant to a warrior-surgeon, even
thoughshe could understand the reasons ror n. rmi than her feeling of shame was
the sudden, warm upsurge of gratitude and pride at once again being called to
work as a healer.
“It is understood,” she said.
Silently the empath indicated that it was changing from the probe frequency, so
as not to be verbally hampered by having to use the listening Gogleskan’s
impersonal mode of speech.
“Thank you, Cha Thrat,” it said quickly. “Use my Cinrusskin instruments, they
are best suited to your upper digits and I would feel more comfortable directing
you in their use. Fit the protective devices before trying to do anything else;
you could not help the patient if you were to be paralyzed by its stings. When