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Farris," said Hayashi. "And though you may not be earning your keep now, the
Tecton trained you made you into a first without even asking your consent.
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Now, even though you were injured and, as I recall, it was in the line of
duty the Tecton has a certain obligation to you. We can't let you die or none
of us will be able to live with the system."
"It's still not worth sacrificing the economy of half a continent," said
Digen. "I can piece something out maybe with a channel therapist or something.
Rogzin is working; he requires Im's services constantly. I don't, because I'm
not working. I'm only on maintenance to avoid entran."
"Your maintenance," said Hayashi dryly, "is what most channels call
overwork."
Digen laughed. Mickland said, "Digen does have a point. He takes us into the
red about half his capacity every month, despite what he's done for this
department. The only thing keeping this Sime Center solvent is Ilyana's
contributions offsetting Digen's losses."
"It's not his fault. The Tecton developed him, and now the Tecton is
responsible for his support. He's entitled, or none of us are."
"Well, I agree with that,- naturally," said Mickland. "What channel wouldn't?
But it's just not possible."
"Well then," said Hayashi, limping up and down in annoyance, "get Im'ran here
next month, or the month after. Meanwhile, Digen what do you think of Ilyana
and I in tandem? We could " Hayashi slipped into rapid jargon, embroidering
creatively on some basic Zeor techniques not in the Tecton manuals.
"Now wait a minute," said Mickland. "I can't authorize you two for "
"The shening shay you can't! Don't you realize "
"Hold it," said Digen.
"You can't object, either," said Hayashi. "You'd have to accept from any
Tecton channel, and that's allI am, just a Tecton channel doing a job on
another channel. First to first. Nothing more."
"She's not a first," said Digen. "When she is, I'll consider it. Meanwhile,
forget it. Or no, don't forget it. It's brilliant. Write it up somewhere.
Somebody may require it sometime."
"Well then, what are you going to do?" asked Hayashi.
Digen had been thinking about just that, and he started talking with
assurance before he was even aware of what he was going to say. "Controller
Mickland, do you remember that Donor you got for me a while ago Tcher-vain
something Rholle, I think his name was?"
"Hmm. The fellow I almost got a permanent on. Kept him three weeks before
Biderfeld stole him. He wasn't bad."
"He was flaming good," said Digen. "Functioning three-nine-six-four when he
came nine-six-seven or so when he left. Young. Lots of potential. I talked to
him some, about qualifying four-plus. He's game to give it a try. If you could
get him back put him on my list as a student, instead of me on his therapy
list "
It was a subterfuge unworthy of the Sectuib in Zeor. Digen found himself
glancing at the closed door, wondering whether Ilyana might have heard that.
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But what other choice was left?
Mickland leaned against one corner of the desk. "I might I just might be able
to get him, but it would take a few weeks. He's been rephased. It would be
expensive to crash phase him for you he'd have to skip a transfer."
"Shenoni!" yelled Hayashi, flinging his arms in the air. "Will you ever learn
when to count pennies and when not to? Get him, then, if he's the only one
Digen will accept. But get Im' back too, just in case."
"Why, if Digen can qualify us another four-plus?"
"Zhhh!" said Hayashi. "Look, I know the Farrises, and I know the Zeor
mentality. Just get them both, unless you want to get mired down in a scandal
that will last a hundred years."
Hayashi limped across to Digen, searching his face and his nager. In a kind
of resignation he shook his head. "You and Wyner!" Briefly he laid one hand on
Digen's shoulder a fatherly gesture that Digen bore without exactly knowing
why he didn't slap the man down. Hayashi said, "Digen, you're a credit to Zeor
and to your office. I just wish oh, shen!"
And Hayashi stalked out the back door, mumbling some-thing about checking up
on Ilyana before she got into more trouble.
Digen looked at the half glass of tea in his hand. He wanted to squeeze it
until it crushed into shards. Carefully, he put it down.
"Controller Mickland, there still remains the problem of Hajene Hayashi's
experiments. According to the charts I've seen, and to what I know of Jesse
and Dane, I think maybe you could pair them and let Rin study their
interactions. It might work and it ought to keep him busy until well, until
something is resolved with Ilyana, or Im' gets back."
"Rizdel and Elkar? What gives you that idea?"
"I've known Jesse since first-year camp. He has a lot of potential that
doesn't show. And Dane Rizdel well, I watched his qualification. I tend to
trust my instincts in something like that. He may not be quite ready yet for
Jesse, but Rin did a great job with Im'ran for me, he can probably do as well
for Jesse with Dane."
Mickland picked up the glass of tea Hayashi had left on a file cabinet. He
swirled it contemplatively.
Digen said, "I don't have time to kick it around with you. I've got a kid on
the out-Territory ward with Noreen's Syndrome, and another who's been beaten.
I've got to go check on them and that woman is waiting downstairs and some
other things."
He stepped around Mickland and went out to discipline his receptionist for
not being there when Skip got loose.
Chapter 12
FAITHDAY
On the day of the worst snowstorm of the season, Jesse Elkar took a suicide
abort off Dane Rizdel in Hayashi's lab.
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Digen was giving a ronaplin smear for a shaking-plague culture when he heard
of Hayashi's call to the Sime Center morgue. He ran up the fifteen flights of
stairs to Hayashi's penthouse laboratory, seeing visions of Ilyana dead, in a
lax heap on the floor.
But, when he arrived, Ilyana was nowhere in sight, and Jesse Elkar's body was
laid out on a lounge, surrounded by humming and clicking machines. Of! to the
side, on a high table, Hayashi was coaxing Rizdel back to consciousness. Digen
stared at Elkar's body for a full minute before he realized that the man was
dead. Then he brushed the morgue attendants aside and seized Elkar's body up
in his arms, desperately searching for any flicker of selyn movement a
non-Farris might have missed.
But there was none.
He was beyond need.
Jesse!
Digen was suspended between shock and defeat, willing time itself to stop,
thought to freeze, selyn to congeal. But he knew what he didn't want to think,
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