"James White - SG 08 - The Genocidal Healer" - читать интересную книгу автора (White James)

"That civil court," Lioren said harshly, "was influenced by a very able defender
to show me sympathy and sentiment when what I needed was justice. Here it is my
hope thatтАФ"

"I will not be as able a defender?" O'Mara asked.

"I know you will be an able defender!" Lioren said loudly, knowing that the
process of translation was removing much of the emotional content from the
words. "That is my greatest concern. But why are you defending me? With your
reputation and experience in other-species psychology, and the high stan- dards
of professional behavior you demand, I expected you to understand and side with
me instead ofтАФ"
"But I am on your side, dammitтАФ" O'Mara began. He was silenced by the
distinctively Earth-human and disgusting sound of the fleet commander clearing
its main breathing passage.

"Let it be clearly understood," Dermod said in a quieter voice, "that all
entities having business before this court will address their remarks to the
presiding officer and not to each other. Surgeon-Captain Lioren, you will have
the opportunity to argue your case without interruption when your present
defender, be he able or inept, has completed his submission. Continue, Major."

Lioren directed one eye toward the officers of the court, another he kept on the
silent crowd behind him, and a third he fixed unwaveringly upon the Earth-human
O'Mara, who, still without benefit of notes, was describing in detail the
accused's training, career, and major professional accomplishments during his
stay at Sector Twelve General Hospital. Major O'Mara had never used such words
of praise to or about Lioren in the past, but now the things it was saying would
not have been out of place in a eulogy spoken over the mortal remains of the
respected dead. Regrettably, Lioren was neither dead nor respected.

As the hospital's Chief Psychologist, O'Mara's principal concern was and always
had been the smooth and efficient operation of the ten-thousand-odd members of
the medical and maintenance staff. For administrative reasons, the entity O'Mara
carried the rank of major in the Monitor Corps, the Federation's executive and
law-enforcement arm, which was also charged with the responsibility for the
supply and maintenance of Sector General. But keeping so many different and
potentially antagonistic life-forms working together in harmony was a large job
whose limits, like those of O'Mara's authority, were difficult to define.

Given even the highest qualities of tolerance and mutual respect among all
levels of its personnel, and in spite of the careful psychological screening
they underwent before being accepted for training in the Galactic Federation's
most renowned mul-tienvironment hospital, there were still occasions when
serious interpersonal friction threatened to occur because of ignorance or
misunderstanding of other-species cultural mores, social behavior, or
evolutionary imperatives. Or, more dangerously, a being might develop a
xenophobic neurosis which, if left untreated, would ultimately affect its
professional competence, mental stability, or both.