Star Surgeon

led down to routine, and the incident

imgar, at least he had dropped the open antagonism that he had shown before. Apparently Tiger's angry outburst had startled Jack, as though he had never really consider

me," Dal said one night when he and Tiger were alone. "Sounds silly, but I think it's true. He pretends to be so sure of himself, but I t

ing from Black Doctor Tanner before he

hink he cares for the Black

was not quite peace on board, at least there was an uneasy truce. Tiger and Jack were almost friendly, talking together more often and getting to know each oth

contract planet to organize a mass inoculation program against a parasitic infestation resembling malaria. They paused at another place to teach the native doctors the use of some new surgical instruments that had been develope

rounds, and grew more confident of their ability to handle the problems thrus

an alien race on a remote planet, and then seem to know exactly which questions to ask to draw out the significant information about the situation. Tiger was not nearly as quick and clever as Jack; he needed more time to ponder a question of medical treatment, and he would often spend long hours poring over

he trouble on Morua VIII. More than once he succeeded in almost impossible surgical cases where there was no time to cal

a falsehood; until Tiger had spoken up Dal had been certain that the Black Doctor fully intended to use the incident as an excuse to discharge him from the General Practice Patrol. There was no question in his

g away persistently at his mind. He couldn't throw off the f

and there was a Garvian saying that "a false tongue wins no true friends." Garvian traders were known throughout the Galaxy as much for their rigid adherence to their word as they were for the hard bargains they could d

e and more to avoid contact with them, building up a protective shell and relying on Fuzzy for company or comfort. Then Tiger had found him eating lunch by himself in the medical school lounge one day and flopped down in the seat beside him and began talking as if Dal were just another classmate. Tiger's open friendliness had been like a spring breeze to Dal who was desperately lonely in this world of strangers; their friendship had grown rapidly, and gradually others in the class had be

rua VIII, and Dal's uneasiness grew stronger than ever the more he thought of it. Talking to Tiger about it was no help; Tig

heir daily rounds. Tiger brought a pink dispatch sheet in to Dal one day, grinning

elphia within the next week for prophylactic heart surgery. In keeping with usual Hospital Earth administrative policy, the Four-star Black Doctor will undergo a total cardi

t will improve his temper," he said, "even if it

hair for a while," Tiger said. "He won't hav

d to admit, did not

ering, with the ship kept at a temperature that was comfortable for Tiger and Jack; he missed the tropical heat of his home planet, and sometimes it seemed that he was chilled down to the marrow of his bones in spite of his coat of gray fur.

al's shoulder and wanted to be in the middle of things. Since the early tension had eased, he was willing to be apart from his master from time to time, so Dal and Tiger

Lancet which flared up from time to time when it was least expected, between Dal and Jack. It was on one

it happened, but he could not tell exactly what was wrong. A

me here than the other two; the temperature of the room could be turned up, and he had developed a certain fondness for the place with its warm gray walls and its soft relaxing light. Here on the tapes were things that he could grappl

Dal would leave him to swing on his platform or explore about the control cabin while he spent an hour or two at the tape-reader. Today Dal had been working for o

, he felt dreadfully, frighteningly alone, as if in a split second something inside him had been torn away. He sat bolt upr

is feet, tore open the door to the cubicle and dashed down the hallway

rise as the Red Doctor burst into the room. Fuzzy's platform was hanging empty, gently swaying bac

demanded. "What's

gust. "He's up on hi

either! Wh

perch. "He was there jus

l began searching the room, knocking over stools, scattering pile

ger jumped to his feet. "Hold it, hold it! He probably ju

l was almost choking on the words. "Some

gust. "You and your miserable pet!" he said.

self at the Blue Doctor's throat. "Where is he?" he cried. "What have you done with him? What have you done to Fuzzy? You've done somethi

urious little Garvian away. "Wait a minut

too! Wher

was powerful strength in Dal's fingers for all his sligh

stop this!" he roared, holding them both at arm's length. "I said stop it! Jack didn't do anything to

nted. "Something's happ

o you

know. I ca

. "He's got to be somewhere on the ship. If

st a little while ago," he said. "He was sitting up on that silly perch watching

t started looki

by inch. There was no sign of Fuzzy. Dal had control of himself now, but he searched with

ame through, from the rear corridor. Dal, you search the comput

ang of a cabinet door. Dal worked through the maze of cubby-holes in the computer room with growing hopelessness. The frightening sense of loneliness and loss in his mind was overwhel

ed and stumbled in his haste to get down the corrid

," Jack said. "He's got

e. Several of the reagents bottles had been knocked over as if he had been sampling them. The glass lid to the beaker of formalin which was kept for tissue specimens had been pushe

it's formali

lmost gently. "The stuff destroys protein, and that's about all he was. I'm sorry-I was beginning to like the little punk, even if he did

some saline," he said tight

to the beaker and began massaging it. Layers of damaged tissue peeled off in his hand, but he continued m

e damaged outer layers. Jack and Tiger watched; then Ja

ke it," he said. "He has enormous regenerative powers as long as any fragment of him is left." He looked up at Jack who was s

h he had been caught off guard

think straight. It was the first t

his is a medical ship, not a menagerie. And if you ev

was sorry,

aid. "I just don't be

lance, and then headed

or three days, but apparently basically unharmed by his inadvertent swim in the deadly formalin bath. Presently

eeling of emptiness and desertion, the almost paralyzing fear and helplessness that he had felt when Fuzzy had lost contact with him. It had seemed as though a vital part of him had suddenly been torn away, and the memory of the pa

an before to be friendly. For the first time he seemed to take an active interest in Fuzzy, "chatting" with

of quite a different nature. It was just after they had left a small planet in the Procyon sy

occasional dull luncheon with the Garvian ambassador to Hospital Earth during medical school days. The thought of walking the corridors of a Garvian trading ship again brought an

is the Teegar," he said. "Flagship of the SinSin t

pace trader, and a big one. You've

ipt. "A SinSin ship! Send them the word, Jack, an

ey watched with growing excitement as the great

great trading firms that had built Garv II into its position of leadership in the Confederation, and the SinSi

more than a planetary trader loaded with a few items for a single planet. The space traders roamed from star system to star system, their holds filled with treasur

he Teegar in Garvian. "This is the General Practice Patrol Ship Lancet," he said, "ou

rd that there was now a Garvian physician, and couldn't believe our ears

eboat sprang from a launching rack and speared across to the Lancet. Moments later the three doctors w

wealth and luxury of the ship took the Earthmen's breath away. The cabins and lounges were paneled with expensive fabrics and rare woods, the furniture inlaid with

nto the reception lounge where a great table was spread with foods and pastries of all varieties. Then he turned to Dal and embraced him like a long-lost brother. "Your father Jai Timgar has long been an honored fri

ent Garvian greeting. "It's possible, and true," he said.

er, eh? But come, you must look and see what we have in our storerooms, feast your eye

lay corridors. "We'd be glad to see the ship, but you should

there is something that strikes your eye, something that would fulfill the desires of your heart, it will be yours." He gave Dal a smile and a sly wink. "Surely ou

ious hours they wandered the corridors of the great ship, staring hungrily at the dazzling displays. They had been away from Hospital Earth and its shops

g for weeks about getting out of condition in the sedentary life of the ship, there was a set of bar bells and gymnasium equipment ingeniously designed to collapse into a unit no larger than one foot square, yet opening out into a completely equipped gym. Dal's eyes glittered at th

ght their eyes, the commander snapped his fingers excitedly, and the item was unobtrusively noted down by one

d wistfully, "but impossible. Still,

n at Dal. "And there is an old Garvian proverb that to the

d short in amazement. Spread out before them were all

s uniform. "We couldn't possibly buy these things, it w

fles as these. And as for terms, you have no worry. Take the goods aboard your ship, they are already yours. We have drawn up contracts for you which require no payment whatever for five

ning lay a silver star, and the official insignia of a Star Physician in the Blue Service

aid. "I-I mean perhaps-" He looked at Tiger, and then at the d

lifeboat, preparing to move the goods aboard. Then Dal Timgar

one of our own people, and an honored son of Jai Timgar, who has been kind to the house of SinSin for many years, I h

, neatly displayed in a velvet-lined carrying case. The commander took it up from the table and thr

should be warned that the prices on these goods are four times what they ought to be, and the deferred-payment contracts he wants you to sign will permit as much as 24 per cent interest on the unpaid balance

t serious," he said. "These prices can be compared on any planet and you will see their fairness. He

nough," Dal said, "but I'm tell

n. "But surely just

at he's talking about. I don't thin

grily. "What are you telling them? The

ng with their eyes shut, that's all. Your contracts are legal

ave thrown in your lot with these pill-peddlers, these idiots from Earth who can't even wipe their noses without losing in a trade." He sig

em off in their entrance lock, and dashed back to the Teegar with the lifeboat. Gloomily Jack and

d finally, looking up at Dal. "But the way t

t he saw a perfect setup. He figured you'd nev

een easy enough.

le who give away surgical sets," he said. "Remember, I'm not

started tracking down the call while Jack went back to work on the daily log book and Dal set up food fo

puzzled frown on his face. "Finally traced that call. At leas

isn't on the list of contr

ven certain if it's a call or not. Com