reduced power, to perform their function. Time was running out for both of them.
Everyone’s attention was on Khone,and even Prilicla was watching the scanner
display too intently to describe what it was seeing.
“I see the head!” Murchison said suddenly. “The top of the head only. But the
contractions are too weak, they aren’t helping very much. The legs are at
maximum spread, but the fetal head is moving down, then back again, by a
fraction of an inch with each contraction. Shall I try surgical enlargement of
the—”
“No surgery,” Cha Thrat said firmly. Even if the patient survived it, she had
shared Rhone’s mind and knew that serious psychological damage would result from
the inflicting of a surgical wound—not to mention the aftermath when close
physical contact would be necessary to provide treatment and change dressings—on
one whose species was virtually untouchable. The brief physical and mental
contact with Conway and Cha Thrat had knocked a large hole in Rhone’s Gogleskan
conditioning, but psychologically it was still a strong and very rigidstructure.
But there was no time to explain her feeling or argue her point of view.
Murchison had straightened up and was looking questioningly at Prilicla, who
shook in the emotional winds blowing from all sides but said nothing. “It would
be better if we tried to assist the natural process,” Cha Thrat went on.
“Naydrad, I want alternating positive and reverse gravity again, this time
between zero and three Gs down, initially for the next five contractions. And
watch out for major displacement of other organs. This species has never been
subjected to increased G forces—”
“I see the whole head now!” Murchison broke in excitedly. “And shoulders.
Dammit, I’ve got the wee bugger!”
“Naydrad,” Cha Thrat said quickly, “maintain threeGs down for a moment until the
afterbirth is out, then return to normal gravity conditions. Murchison, place
the newborn between the digital clusters just to the left of my head. My feeling
is that Rhone will derive greater reassurance from holding on to its little one
than from me holding on to its parent.”
She watched as Rhone’s digits curled instinctively around the tiny form, which
looked to the Sommaradvan part of her mind like a slimy, twitching little horror
and which the Gogleskan portion insisted was a thing of indescribable beauty.
Reluctantly she lifted her head from Rhone’s and released her grip on its fur.
“Your feeling is accurate, Cha Thrat,” Prilicla said, “The patient, although
still unconscious, is already emoting more strongly.”
“But wait,” Murchison said worriedly. “We were told that it must be conscious if
it was to take care of the newborn properly. We’ve no idea what…”
She broke off because Cha Thrat, who now knew everything that the Gogleskan
healer had known, was busily doing all that was necessary. It was contrary to
her Sommaradvan upbringing to tell a deliberate lie, but the situation was
fraught with ah1 sorts of interpersonal difficulties and was too complicated for
her to take the time needed to tell the truth.
Instead, Cha Thrat waited until the umbilical had been neatly severed and sealed
off and the patient’s lower limbs disposed more comfortably, then said smoothly,
“There are a number of physiological similarities between the FORT life-form and
my own and, in any case, we females have certain instincts in these matters.”
The Earth-human shook its head doubtfully and said,”Your female instincts are a
lot stronger,and more preccisely directed, than mine.”
“Friend Murchison,” Prilicla said, its voice sounding loud because all but two
of the distorters had ceased their whistling, “let us discuss female instincts
at a more convenient time. Friend Naydrad, replace the litter canopy, turn up
the internal heating three points, and maintain a pure oxygen atmosphere and
watch out for signs of delayed shock. The emotional radiation indicates a
condition of grave debility, but it is stable, there is no immediate danger, and
circulation and mobility are returning to the lower limbs. We will all feel
better, and especially the patient, when it has the ship’s intensive-care
equipment looking after it. Please move quickly.
“All except Cha Thrat,” it added gently. “With you, my Sommaradvan friend, I
would like private words.”