[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
His concern seemed so genuine that it nearly convinced me of his innocence. I did not have hallucinations, however. I also knew that an alterform would
be trained to put on a superb performance, including how to justify any mistakes he made.
I would have to rely on what his DNA told me.
"Thank you for the advice. I will speak to Squilyp about it before we leave." I lifted my medical case. "While I am here, I would like to recharge my
personal syrinpresses and requisition some additional equipment. Would you ask one of the nurses to meet me in the drug storage room?"
He nodded and went off to the nurses' station. I quickly pulled on a glove and retrieved the three long, dark brown hairs adhering to the strip of spray
adhesive I had surreptitiously applied to the edge of the berth linens, and placed them in a small specimen container. By the time a nurse reported to me I
had stowed the hairs in the bottom of my case.
Once I had recharged my syrinpresses with the standard medications a traveling physician carried, I asked the nurse to requisition a DNA scanner for
me, and added that to my case.
My request did perplex the nurse, who asked, "Do you expect to do a great deal of genetic testing during your sojourn, Healer?"
"I doubt it, but I would rather be prepared than not." I glanced out at the nurses' station, where Jylyj was writing up patient orders. "The path is not the
only thing that changes."
I returned to our quarters and immediately removed from my case the hairs I had collected from Jylyj to scan them. Reever brought me a server of tea
and watched silently as the results appeared on the display.
"The DNA from his hair follicles is that of an adult Skartesh male," I said, disappointed. "Either he really is Skartesh, or a shape-shifter like Tya, who
can manipulate his own DNA. Either way, he is not an alterform." One unusual reading caught my eye--an elevated PH level--and I scanned the hairs
again, but this time for minerals. "There are trace amounts of sodium chloride on the outside of the follicle and the hair shaft."
"It could be salt residue from his sweat," Reever suggested.
"Or from seawater." I went to the terminal and accessed the database. Like most furred beings, the Skartesh did not sweat through their pores. "It is not
from sweat. Jylyj perspires only through his respiratory tract."
Reever leaned over my shoulder and tapped the console, bringing up another section. "Skartesh also cleanse themselves by applying dry sand to their
pelts."
That confused me. "What has sand bathing to do with salt residue?"
"In antiquity, this region was covered by seawater," he said. "I doubt you will find any soil on Torin land that does not contain some trace of salt."
I hated it when my husband destroyed one of my theories. "So there is no valid reason to suspect that Jylyj is anything but what he appears to be." I
thought about what the resident had suggested. "What if this has something to do with me instead of him? Could it have been some errant memory that
made me imagine that I saw him in the water?"
"Neither I nor Cherijo had any contact with the Skartesh," Reever said. "The species were still living on their homeworld when she was serving on K-2.
By the time they fled their planet, you were already on Akkabarr."
"Where I never saw a single Skartesh, either." I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes. "Perhaps I did make a mistake, and saw someone
else who resembled Jylyj. That would explain why the male did not respond to my call." But I had been so sure, and that still bothered me.
"Let it go for now." My husband reached over, switched off the terminal, and drew me to my feet. "Come to bed."
Thinking about the Skartesh kept me from sleeping well that night, but near dawn I finally drifted off from exhaustion. I woke alone, and found a message
from Reever stating that he and Marel had gone on an outing to see the famous tiered gardens of HouseClan Varena, and would return later that day.
I suspected my husband had been aware of my restlessness and had taken our daughter out to allow me additional time to sleep. But I had no desire to
return to bed or spend the day in idleness. Fortunately, Squilyp signaled soon after that to ask if I would work a few hours at the medical facility.
"The Adan have invited me to stay for another day," the Omorr explained,"and I won't return in time to make surgical rounds. Jylyj mentioned that you
stopped in last night to look in on some of the patients, so I thought you wouldn't mind paying them another visit today."
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]