the anaesthesia controls, and occasionally he nodded reassurance to the
Moruan surgeon. He did not even invite Dal to observe.

Ten minutes later he rose from the control table and threw the switch to
stop the heart-lung machine. The patient took a gasping breath on his
own, then another and another. The Four-star Surgeon stripped off his
gown and gloves with a flourish. "It will be all right," he said to the
Moruan physician. "An excellent job, Doctor, excellent!" he said. "Your
technique was flawless, except for the tiny matter you have just
observed."

It was not until they were outside the operating room and beyond earshot
of the Moruan doctors that the Four-star surgeon turned furiously to
Dal. "Didn't you even bother to examine the operating field, Doctor?
Where did you study surgery? Couldn't you tell that the fools had
practically finished the job themselves? All that was needed was a
simple great-vessel graft, which an untrained idiot could have done
blindfolded. And for this you call me clear from Hospital Earth!"

The surgeon threw down his mask in disgust and stalked away, leaving Dal
and Tiger staring at each other in dismay.




CHAPTER 6

TIGER MAKES A PROMISE