"White, James - Sector General 06 - Star Healer.PDB" - читать интересную книгу автора (White James)

He was not surprised that the two empaths were getting on well togetherЧthat was a law of nature. An emotion-sensitive who by word, deed, or omission caused hostility in the people around it had those same feelings bounced back in its face, so it was in an empathТs own interest to make the atmosphere as pleasant as possible for all concerned. Danalta, apparently, was somewhat different in that it could switch off incoming emotional radiation at will.
Neither was Conway surprised that the TOBS knew so much about Cinruss and its empathic nativesЧDanalta had already demonstrated its wide-ranging knowledge about everything and everybody. What did surprise him was that Prilicla seemed to know a lot about Fotawn that had not come up in the present conversation, and Conway had the impression that the knowledge was recently acquired. But from whom?
Certainly it was not common knowledge in the hospital, Conway thought as he kept his eyes on his dessert, with an occasional glance upward to where Prilicla was maintaining its unstable hover. From habit he did not look at the various unsavory, foul-smelling messes which the others were busy ingesting. Had news of Fotawn and its visiting TOBS leaked, the hospital grapevine would have been twitching with it in its every leaf and branch. So why had Prilicla alone been given the information?
УIТm curious,Ф Conway stated during the next lull in the conversation.
УI know.Ф The trembling in PriliclaТs limbs increased momentarily. УI am an empath, friend Conway.Ф
УAnd I,Ф Conway replied, Уafter the number of years we have worked together, have developed a degree of empathy where you are concerned, little friend. There is a problem.Ф
It was a statement rather than a question, and PriliclaТs flying became even more unstable, so that it had to alight on an unoccupied space at the table. When it spoke it seemed to be choosing the words with great care, and Conway reminded himself that the empath was not in the least averse to lying if in so doing it could maintain a pleasant level of emotional radiation in the area.
УI have had a lengthy meeting with friend OТMara,Ф Prilicla said, Уduring which I was given some disturbing news.
УWhich was?Ф Conway felt that he should have obtained a degree in extraterrestrial dentistry; on this occasion getting information out of Prilicla was Like pulling teeth.
УI am sure that I will adjust to it in time,Ф the empath replied. УDo not be concerned for me. I ... I have been promoted to a position of much greater responsibility and authority. Please understand, friend Conway, I accepted with reluctance.Ф
УCongratulations!Ф Conway was delighted. УAnd there was no need for the reluctance, or for you to feel badly about it. OТMara would not give you the job unless he was absolutely sure you could do it. What exactly will you be doing?Ф
УI would rather not discuss it here and now, friend Conway.Ф PriliclaТs tremor was increasing as it forced itself to say something which verged on the disagreeable. УThis is not the time or the place to talk shop.Ф
Conway choked on his coffee. In this place shop was normally the only subject of conversation, and they both knew it. What was more, the presence of the newcomers should have been no bar, because they would have been interested in listening to a discussion between senior members of staff of matters which they did not quite understand, but which they soon would. He had never known Prilida to behave like this before, and the intensity of his curiosity was making the empath shake even harder.
УWhat did OТMara say to you?Ф Conway asked firmly, and added, УExactly.Ф
УHe said,Ф Prilicla replied quickly, Уthat I should assume more responsibility, learn to give orders, and generally throw my weight around. Friend Conway, my physical mass is inconsiderable, my musculature virtually nonexistent, and I feel that the thought processes of the Chief Psychologist are, well, difficult to fathom. But right now I must excuse myself. There are some routine matters to which I must attend on Rhabwar, and I had, in any case, planned on having Lunch in the ambulance ship.Ф
Conway did not have to be an empath to know that the empath was uncomfortable and did not want to answer any more questions.
A few minutes after PriLicla departed, he handed over the trainees to the instructors who had been waiting patiently for them to finish lunch, and he had a few more minutes in which to think before a trio of KeLgian nurses joined the next table and began moaning and twitching their fur at each other. He switched off his translator so that their conversation, a highly scandalous tale about another member of their species, would not distract him.
Prilicla would not display continuous emotional disturbance simply because it had received news of a promotion. It had borne heavy medical and surgical responsibilities on many previous occasions. Neither would it mind giving orders. True, it had no weight to throw about, but then it always gave its instructions in such a polite and inoffensive way that its subordinates would have died rather than make it feel unhappy by refusing to obey. And the newcomers had not been emoting unpleasantly and neither had Conway.
But suppose Conway would have felt badly if Prilicla had told him the details of its new job? That would explain the empathТs uncharacteristic behavior, because the thought of hurting another beingТs feelings would be highly unpleasant for itЧespecially if the person concerned was a close friend like Conway. And for some reason Prilicla would not, or could not, speak about its new position in front of the newcomers, or perhaps before one of the newcomers.
Maybe it was not its new job which was worrying Prilicla but something it had learned during its meeting with OТMara, something which concerned Conway himself and which the Cinrusskin was not at liberty to divulge. He checked the time and stood up quickly, excusing himself to the nurses.
The answersЧand, he knew from long experience, very likely a whole new set of problemsЧwould be found in the office of the Chief Psychologist.


CHAPTER 3


The inner office of the Chief Psychologist resembled in many respects a medieval torture chamber, and the resemblance was heightened not only by the wide variety of extraterrestrial couches and relaxers fitted with physical restraints, but by the graying, granite-featured Torquemada in Monitor Corps green who presided over it. Major OТMara indicated a physiologically suitable chair.
УSit down, Doctor,Ф he said with a completely uncharacteristic smile. УRelax. YouТve been dashing about in that ambulance ship of yours so much recently that IТve scarcely seen you. It is high time that we had a good, long talk.Ф
Conway felt his mouth go dry. This is going to be rough. But what had he done or left undone to merit this sort of treatment?
The otherТs features were as unreadable as a lump of rock, but the eyes which were studying him, Conway knew from long experience, opened into a mind so keenly analytical that it gave the Major what amounted to a telepathic faculty. Conway did not speak and neither, for a long moment, did OТMara.
As Chief Psychologist of the FederationТs largest multienvironment hospital, he was responsible for the mental well-being of a huge medical staff belonging to more than sixty different species. Even though his Monitor Corps rank of majorЧwhich had been conferred on him for purely administrative reasonsЧdid not place him high in the hospitalТs chain of command, there were no clear limits to his authority. To OТMara the medical staff were potential patients, and a large part of the Psychology DepartmentТs work was the assignment of the right kind of doctor to a given patient.
Even with the highest degrees of tolerance and mutual respect, dangerous situations could arise among the staff because of ignorance or misunderstanding, or a being could develop xenophobiaЧ in spite of the strict psychological screening every Sector General candidate had to undergo before being accepted for trainingЧto a degree which threatened to affect its professional competence, mental stability, or both. An Earth-human doctor, for example, who had a strong subconscious fear of spiders would not be able to bring to bear on a Cinrusskin patient the proper degree of clinical detachment necessary for its treatment. And if someone like Prilicla were to treat such an Earth-human patient.
A large part of OТMaraТs responsibility was to detect and eradicate such trouble among the medical staff while the other members of his department saw to it that the problems did not arise againЧ to such an extent that Earth-humans knowledgeable in matters of planetary history referred to the process as the Second Inquisition. According to OТMara himself, however, the true reason for the high level of mental stability among his charges was that they were all too frightened of him to risk publicly displaying even a minor neurosis.
OТMara smiled suddenly and said, УI think you are overdoing the respectful silence, Doctor. I would like to talk to you and, contrary to my usual practice, you will be allowed to talk back. Are you happy with ambulance ship duty?Ф
Normally the Chief PsychologistТs manner was caustic, sarcastic, and abrupt to the point of rudeness. He was fond of saying by way of explanationЧOТMara never apologized for anythingЧthat with his colleagues he could relax and be his usual bad-tempered, obnoxious self while with potential patients he had to display sympathy and understanding. Knowing that, Conway did not feel at all reassured by his uncharacteristically pleasant Chief Psychologist.
УQuite happy,Ф Conway said guardedly.
УYou werenТt happy in the beginning.Ф OТMara was watching him intently. УAs I remember, Doctor, you thought it beneath the dignity of a Senior Physician to be given medical charge of an ambulance ship. Any problems with the shipТs officers or the medical team? Any personnel changes you might care to suggest?Ф
УThat was before I realized what a very special ambulance ship Rhabwar was,Ф Conway said, answering the questions in order. УThere are no problems. The ship runs smoothly, the Monitor Corps crew are efficient and cooperative, and the members of the medical team are... No, I cannot think of any possible change that should be made in the personnel.Ф
УI can.Ф For an instant there was a caustic edge to the Chief PsychologistТs tone, as if the OТMara that Conway knew and did not particularly love was trying to break through. Then he smiled and went on. УSurely you must have considered the disadvantages, the inconvenience and disruption caused by constantly remaining on ambulance ship standby, and you must have felt a degree of irritation that every operation you perform at Sector General requires that a surgical understudy be prepared in case you were to be suddenly called away. And the ambulance ship duty means that you cannot take part in some of the projects which your seniority would warrant. Research, teaching, making your experience available to others instead of dashing all over the Galaxy on rescue missions andЧФ
УSo the change will be me,Ф Conway broke in angrily. УBut who will be my?
УPrilicla will head RhabwarТs medical team,Ф OТMara replied, Уbut it accepted only on condition that in so doing it did not cause its friend Conway serious mental distress. It was quite adamant about that, for a Cinrusskin. Even though I told it not to say anything to you until you had been told officially, I expected it to go straight to you with the news.Ф
УIt did. But it only mentioned a promotion, nothing else. I was with a party of new trainees and Prilicla seemed more interested in an empathic polymorph called Danalta. But I could see that something was troubling our little friend.Ф
УSeveral things were troubling Prilicla,Ф OТMara said. УIt knew that when you moved from Rhabwar, it moved up to your job, and that Danalta had already been chosen to fill its vacancy. But the TOBS doesnТt know about this yet, so Prilicla couldnТt tell you the details of its new job, because if Danalta learned about its appointment at second hand it might decide that it was being insulted by being taken for granted. The TOBS are a very able species and justifiably proud of their abilities, and its psych profile indicates that it would certainly take umbrage in a situation like that. But the job it is being offered is physiologically challenging to a polymorph, and I expect Danalta to jump at it.
УHave you any serious objections to these changes, Doctor?Ф he added.
УNo.Ф Conway wondered why he did not feel angrier and more disappointed at losing a position which was the envy of his colleagues, and which he himself found exciting and professionally demanding. He added sourly, УIf the changes are necessary in the first place.Ф
УThey are necessary,Ф OТMara said seriously, and went on. УI am not in the habit of paying compliments, as you know. My job here is to shrink heads, not swell them. Neither do I discuss my reasons for taking particular actions or decisions. But this is not a routine matter.Ф
The psychologistТs square, stubby hands were spread out on the desk before him, and his face was bent forward, looking at them as he spoke,
УFirst,Ф he said, Уyou were the medical team leader on RhabwarТs maiden flight. Since then there have been many successful rescue missions, the procedures for the recovery and treatment of survivors have been perfected, and you are leaving a most efficient ambulance ship in which nothing serious can go wrong because of a small change in operating personnel. Prilicla, Murchison, and Naydrad will still be there, remember. And Danalta. . . Well, with two empaths on the team, one of whom has muscles, can change shape at will, and get into normally inaccessible areas of a wrecked ship, there might even be an improvement in the rescue times.
УSecond, there is Prilicla. You know as well as I do that it is one of our best Senior Physicians. But, for purely psychological and evolutionary reasons, it is incredibly timid, cowardly, and utterly lacking in self-assertion. Placing it in a position where it has overall responsibility and authority, at the site of a disaster, will accustom it to the idea of giving orders and making decisions without help from superiors. I realize that its orders may not sound like orders, and that they will be obeyed because nobody will want to hurt its feelings by objecting. But in time it should acquire the habit of command, and during the periods between rescue missions the habit will carry over to its work in the hospital. You agree?Ф
Conway tried to smile as he said, УIТm glad our little friend isnТt here because my emotional radiation is anything but pleasant. But I agree.Ф