desensitized. Murgatroyd's all right. That's what he's for!"

"But he's your friend!" said Maril.

Murgatroyd, despite his small size and furriness, had all the human
attributes an animal which lives with humans soon acquires. Calhoun
looked at him with affection.

"He's my assistant. I don't ask anything of him that I can do myself.
But we're both Med Service. And I do things for him that he can't do
for himself. For example, I make coffee for him."

Murgatroyd heard the familiar word. He said, "_Chee!_"

"Very well," agreed Calhoun. "We'll all have some."

He made coffee. Murgatroyd sipped at the cup especially made for his
little paws. Once he scratched at the place on his flank which had no
pain nerves. It itched. But he was perfectly content. Murgatroyd
would always be contented when he was somewhere near Calhoun.

Another hour went by. Murgatroyd climbed up into Calhoun's lap and
with a determined air went to sleep there. Calhoun disturbed him long
enough to get an instrument out of his pocket. He listened to
Murgatroyd's heartbeat, while Murgatroyd dozed.

"Maril," he said. "Write down something for me. The time, and
ninety-six, and one-twenty over ninety-four."

She obeyed, not comprehending. Half an hour later, still not stirring