e meant?

Urr . . . there was nothing she could do now but wait, as patiently as
she could, until he arrived.

* * * * *

The next hour went slowly. Corina's patience, not one of her strongest
points at best, was almost exhausted when the door behind her slid
open. Dawson stood, coming to attention; Corina turned, to see if she
should stand as well. She hadn't quite made it around when a calm
voice said, "As you were."

She sat back as Dawson resumed his seat. The newcomer was Ranger
Medart; he propped himself on one corner of the desk, crossing his
arms, and the two studied each other. Medart was good-looking for a
human, Corina thought, though not really outstanding in any way but
one: he moved with almost Irschchan grace, something unusual in a human
male, especially considering this one's 180-cm height.

She'd seen pictures of him, of course; one Ranger or another was
usually in the news. So his appearance was familiar: medium build,
youthful-looking thanks to anti-agathics despite graying hair at the
temples and an age--about 75, if she remembered correctly--when an
Irschchan would be preparing for death. The plain forest-green uniform
was familiar too, with pants bloused over black boots and the wide
pouched gun-and-equipment belt, its only decoration the platinum
star-in-circle badge of his rank.

He was more impressive in person than on the holos, Corina decided.
His cool blue eyes seemed almost able to see into her, and even without
trying, she could sense him; he seemed to radiate an aura of quiet
competence like nothing she'd felt before. It surprised her
momentarily, then she twitched an ear, amused at herself. He was a
Ranger, after all, not an ordinary human. Her curiosity aroused, she
tried a quick probe--to be stopped by a mind-shield that was clearly
both unconscious and well above novice level. An unusual human indeed,
she thought, intrigued.

Medart allowed her scrutiny, studying her at the same time. Despite
their upright stance and lack of tails, Irschchans invariably reminded
him of the Siamese cats he'd raised when he was a youngster in Texas.
This one was no exception. Tawny fur, thick and soft, covered
everything except her palms and the soles of her feet, though it was
marred now by slight scorching on her right arm and a bloodstained area
just below her throat. Her alert, pointed ears only increased her
resemblance to the remembered Siamese, but h