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own words. It says that an obligation exists to return our visit of
yesterday, and to apologize for any mental or physical distress the incident
may have caused us. Doctor, it particularly wants to talk to you.
Extra terrestrials, thought Conway, not for the first time, are full of
surprises. This one might have some answers, as well. As he left the room his
pace could never have been described as the confident, unhurried tread of a
Senior Physician. It was more like a dead run.
CHAPTER 7
In spite of the painfully slow and impersonal style of speech and the lengthy
pauses between the sentences, it was obvious that Khone wanted to talk. What
was more, it wanted to ask questions. But the questions were extraordinarily
difficult for it to verbalize because they were of a kind which had never
before been asked by a member of its species.
Conway knew of many member species of the Galactic Federation whose viewpoints
and behavior patterns were utterly alien and even repugnant to an
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Earth-human, even to an Earth-human medic with wide extraterrestrial
experience like himself. He could imagine the tremendous effort Khone was
putting into trying to understand this frightful off-wonder who, among other
peculiarities, thought nothing of actually touching another being for purposes
other than mating and infant care. He had a lot of sympathy and patience for a
being engaged in such a struggle.
During one of the seemingly endless pauses he had tried to move the
conversation along by taking the blame for what had happened, but Khone
dismissed the apology by saying that if the offwonders had not precipitated
the
calamity then some Gogleskan combination of events would have done so. It gave
details of the damage which had been done. This would be repaired and the ship
rebuilt in time, but it would not be surprised if a similar disaster overtook
them before the work was completed.
Every time a joining occurred they lost a little ground, were left with less
of their technology simple though it was by off worlder standards-so that the
minor advances they had been able to achieve were being slowly eroded away.
It had always been thus, according to the stories which had been handed down
from generation to generation and in the scraps of written history which had
somehow survived their regular orgies of self-destruction.
If any assistance can be given, Conway said in impersonal Gogleskan fashion,
whether it is in the form of information, advice, physical help, or
mechanisms capable of furnishing such help, a simple request is all that is
necessary for it to be made available.
The wish, Khone said slowly, is that this burden be lifted from our race.
The initial request is for information.
If yesterday s events could be so graciously forgiven, surely Khone would not
be too bothered by Conway omitting the cumbersome verbal niceties which were a
part of the barrier between them. He said, You may ask any question on any
subject without fear of offending me.
Khone s hair twitched at being addressed directly, but the healer s reply was
immediate. Information is requested regarding other off-world species of your
experience who have similar problems as those encountered on Goglesk.
Particular interest is felt in those species who have solved them.
The healer, too, had become slightly less impersonal in its mode of speech.
Conway marveled at the effort it must have cost the other to break, or at
least bend a little, its lifelong conditioning. The trouble was that he did
not have the information required.
To give himself time to think, Conway did not reply directly, but began by
describing some of the more exotic life-forms who made up the Federation-but
not as he had described them earlier. Now he drew on his hospital experience
to describe them as patients undergoing surgical or nonsurgical treatments for
an incredible variety of diseases. He was trying to give Khone hope, but he
knew that he was doing little more than stalling by describing clinical
pictures and procedures to a being, albeit a doctor of sorts, who could not
even touch its patients. Conway had never believed in misinforming his
patients, by word or deed or omission, and he did not want to do so to another
medic.
...However, he went on, to my own certain knowledge the problem afflicting
your species is unique. If a similar case had been encountered, it would have
been thoroughly investigated and discussed in the literature and be required
reading for the staff of a multispecies hospital.
I am sorry, he continued, but the only helpful suggestion I can make is
that the condition be studied as closely as possible by me, with the
cooperation of an entity who is both a patient and a doctor, you.
As he waited for Khone s reaction, Conway heard Wainright moving behind him,
but the Lieutenant did not speak.
Cooperation is possible, and desirable, the Gogleskan said finally, but not
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close cooperation.
Conway gave a relieved sigh. The structure behind me contains a compartment
designed for the confinement and study of local fauna under conditions of
minimum physical restraint. For the protection of observers, the compartment
is divided by an invisible but extremely hard wall. Would a close approach for
purposes of physical examination be possible in those conditions?
Provided the strength of the invisible wall is demonstrated, the
Gogleskan said cautiously, a close approach is possible.
Wainright cleared his throat and said, Sorry, Doctor. Until now there has
been no need to use that room and I ve been storing fuel cells in it. Give me
twenty minutes to tidy up.
While Khone and Conway walked slowly around to the rear of the building, he
explained that the compartment had, as the healer could see, an external
opening which allowed confined life-forms to return to their own environment
quickly after release. No restraints whatsoever would be placed on Khone,
Conway reassured the other, and it could break off any discussion or
examination at will.
His intention was to try to find some explanation for the Cogleskan behavior
by a close study of the physiology of the species, with particular emphasis on
the cranial area, which displayed features completely new to Conway and which,
for this reason, might suggest a line of investigation. But it was not his
intention to cause physical or mental distress.
Some discomfort is expected, the FOKT said.
To further reassure Khone, Conway entered the compartment first, and while the
Gogleskan watched from the external entrance, he demonstrated with his fists
and feet the strength of the transparent wall. Indicating the ceiling, he
briefly described the purpose of the two-way communicator and the projectors
of the nonmaterial restraining and manipulation devices, which would be used
only with Khone s express permission. Then he went through the small door,
outlined in white for visibility in that totally invisible wall, and left the
FOKT to get used to the place.
Wainright had already moved the fuel cells from the observer s half of the
compartment, and had replaced them with a tri-di projector, recordings made
the previous day as well as basic information tapes of the type used during
other-
species first contacts, and all of Conway s medical equipment.
I ll monitor and record from the comm center next door, Wainright said,
pausing for a moment in the internal entrance. Khone has already seen the
information tapes, but I thought you might want to rerun the five-minute
sequence on Sector General. If you need anything else, Doctor, let me know.
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