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which is the noise cats make when they are feeling pleasure. . .
.
"This conversation," said Morredeth, its fur rippling in vw n i i c uneven
waves, "is becoming very erotic and for me unpleasant. Stop it at once.
"It is bothering me, too," Bowab agreed, "but pleasantly Why are you talking
so much about this furry pet of yours? In character or behavior did it
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Final Diagnosis.htm
Morredeth or myself? Was it a special, nonsapient friend? What happened to it
and where is the story leading?
"I'm sorry, I didn!t intend to offend anyone," said Hewlitt, "and I don't know
why I
am talking about that cat now when I haven't even thought about it for years.
Maybe it is because it was my first nonhuman friend. It was very friendly and
did not resemble anyone here, especially while you are playing scremman, but
it was too adventurous for its own good. There was an accident when it ran too
close to a large antigravity vehicle and was crushed by the outer edge of the
repulsor field. It did not appear to be badly injured because it was still
breathing and there was only a small amount of blood around its mouth and
ears, but my parents said that there was no hope for it and they would send
for thel pet healer to have the poor thing put out of its misery. BeforeJ they
could stop me I lifted it and took it to my room, and locked the door so
nobody could take it away from me, then' I nursed it in bed with me all night
until.. .
"Until it died," said Horrantor in a voice that seemed too soft and low for it
to be coming from such a massive creature. "A sad story.
"No it isn't," said Hewlitt. "I nursed it until it was better. Next morning it
was walking about good as new, and butting my ankles to be fed. My parents
could not believe it, but my father said that cats had nine lives, that is an
old Earth say ing based on the fact that they have great agility and sense of
balance and rarely fall, and that this one must have used all of them at once.
I suppose it died eventually of old age.
"A sad story with a happy ending," said Bowab. "That is the kind I like best.
I-INAL DIAGNOSIS 101 "Are we going to talk about furry pets," said Morredeth,
its fur tufting into strange, uneven spikes and waves that might have denoted
anger or impatience or something else entirely, "or play scremman?
The question answered itself as Horrantor began to deal. Hewlitt tried to
placate the Kelgian, who for some reason did not like him talking about cats.
He said, "The reason I brought up the subject of my pet, and especially its
fur, was that I
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Final Diagnosis.htm was thinking about the unfairness of my not being able '
to read other-species expressions. Horrantor and Bowab do not show any changes
of expression that I
can detect, and Morredeth shows far too many for me to read. Perhaps I will
learn to do it in time, but right now it is Morredeth who should be
complaining about unfairness because you two have had longer to observe its
fur movements than I
have.
"Patient Hewlitt," Morredeth broke in, its fur rippling and tufting as if
there were a strong wind blowing along the ward, "you will not learn to read
my feelings no matter how long we are here. Even another Kelgian would have
trouble doing that.
The game continued in a disapproving silence and Hewlitt knew that he had said
the wrong thing again.
CHAPTER 12
The thought of what that wrong thing might have been, and how he could avoid
repeating the mistake, was still in Hewlitt's mind when the game was halted by
the
HudlarJ: nurse telling them to return to their beds for the evening?;
medication round and, hopefully, to sleep. The other three i players passed
his bed, Morredeth without speaking, on their ; way to and from the bathroom,
but he did not talk to any of " them about it in case he made matters worse.
!
He was not being given any medication, which meant that he would be visited
last
The Hudlar nurse had only to check the sensor connections to his medical
monitor and would have nothing more to do, barring emergencies, until its next
round of observing sleeping patients in another two hours. Ahead of it
stretched a long spell of night duty during which, he hoped, its boredom and
his curiosity could be relieved by a few questions
"Try not to use the viewscreen tonight," it said. "Charge rse Leethveeschi
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Final Diagnosis.htm that you've had enough excite-U t for one day. Playing
scremman makes the time pass ickly and I'm glad that you are making
other-species' friends. But now you must sleep.
"I'll try, Nurse," he said. "But there is something worrying me.
"Is there pain?" it said, moving quickly to the bedside. "Your monitor is
registering optimum life-sign levels for a healthy DBDG. Please describe the
symptoms. Be as specific as you can.
"Sorry, Nurse, I misled you," he said. "It has nothing to do with my physical
condition. During the day I offended another patient, the Kelgian, Morredeth,
but I
don't know what it was that I said or did that was offensive. We were playing
scremman and the other two seemed to be trying to tell me nonverbally to stop
whatever it was I was doing or saying. I would like to know what it was I was
doing wrong so that I will know not to do it again and, if it was serious, to
apologize.
Even though it had no features that he could identify, the nurse appeared to
relax.
It said, "I don't think this is anything to worry about, Patient Hewlitt.
During a game of scremman that lasted for many hours, as I have been told
yours did, the exchange of insulting and critical words is a common occurrence
. . .
"I noticed," he said
". . . and such words are forgotten by the next deal," it went on. "Just
forget the incident, as the others will have done by now, and go to sleep. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]