“Half an hour, sir,” the Astrogator said. “Then allowing another half hour for
the trip and at least an hour on the surface to load up and make provision for
the other casualties. If the lander does not leave in two and a half hours there
will be serious problems with the wind and sand during take-off.”
“Very well,” Fletcher said. “We should reach a decision in half an hour. Hold
the lander until then.”
But there was very little discussion and the decision was made, in spite of
anything Murchison and Conway could say to the contrary, by the Captain.
Fletcher stated that the two medics on Trugdil had done everything possible for
the casualties and could do nothing further without the facilities of Rhabwar,
except keep them under observation. The Captain insisted that he was capable of
doing that, and of defending them in case they were attacked again.
He was sure that the criminal responsible for their injuries was not currently
on the ship, but it might return to the shelter of the wreck when the cold and
the sandstorms returned, or even to escape the advancing thorn clumps. He added
that the proper place for all of the medical team was on Rhabwar where the
casualties there could t?e given proper attention.
“Captain,” Conway said angrily, unable to refute his arguments, “in the medical
area I have complete authority.”
UCINCttAU. »/
“Then why don’t you exercise it responsibly, Doctor?” Fletcher replied.
“Captain,” Murchison broke in quickly, trying to head off an argument which
could sour relations on the ambulance ship for weeks to come. “The DCLG specimen
you found was not badly injured, compared with some of the others, but it was
defunct, I’m afraid. Severe inflammation of the breathing passages and massive
lung damage similar to the one you found in the hold. Both sets of lungs
contained traces of the sample you took from the hydraulic reservoir. That is
lethal stuff, Captain, so don’t open your visor anywhere near a leak.”
“Thank you, ma’am, I won’t,” Fletcher said calmly, and went on, “Dodds, you can
see that the stretch of corridor ahead has been crushed almost flat. There is
enough space for crew members to squeeze through, but I will have to cut away a
lot of this jagged metal—”
Conway switched off his radio and touched his helmet against Murchison’s so that
they could speak privately. He said furiously, “Whose side are you on?”
She grinned at him through her visor, but before she could reply Prilicla’s
voice rustled timidly from the phones. The empath, too, was trying to calm a
potentially unpleasant source of emotional radiation.
“Friend Conway,” it said, “while friend Fletcher’s arguments are valid, and I
would personally welcome the presence of friend Murchison and yourself back on
board, friend Naydrad and myself are coping adequately with the patients, all of
whom are in a stable condition with the exception of three of the small DCLGs
who are showing a slight reduction in body temperature.”
“Deepening shock, do you think?” Conway asked.
“No, friend Conway,” Prilicla replied. “There seems to be a slight improvement
in their general condition.”
“Emotional radiation?”
“Nothing on the conscious level, friend Conway,” the empath replied, “but there
are unconscious feelings of deprivation, and need.”
“They are all hungry,” Conway said dryly, “except one.”
“The thought of that one is abhorrent to me, too,” Prilicla
said. “But to return to the condition of the patients: The lung damage and
inflammation of the breathing passages noted by friend Murchison is repeated, to
a much lesser degree of severity, in the other survivors, and the cause is
correctly attributed to the damaged reservoir. But it is possible that
operating in Trugdil conditions with the less sensitive portable equipment—”
“Prilicla,” Conway said impatiently, “what you mean is that we were too blind or
stupid to spot an important medical:datum, but you are too nice a person to hurt
our feelings. But intense impatience and curiosity can be unpleasant emotions,
too, so just tell us what you discovered, Doctor.”
“I am sorry, friend Conway,” said the empath. “It is that the food passage as
well as the breathing passage is similarly inflamed. The condition is relatively