was no sense in
belaboring the point. He turned to the staff. Five of them were the
same big-boned heavy-framed type that apparently did most of the
manual labor. The sixth, the late arrival, was an elegant creature, a
bronze-skinned, green-eyed minx with an elfin face half hidden under a
wavy mass of red-brown hair. Unlike the others, she had been docked--and
in contrast to their heavy eyes and sleep-puffed features she was alert
and lively. She flashed him an impish grin, revealing clean white teeth.

Kennon smiled back. He couldn't help it. And suddenly the tension and
strangeness was broken. He felt oddly at ease. "Which of you are on
duty?" he asked.

"All of us," the redhead replied, "if it's necessary. What do you want
us to do?"

"He's already told me. He wants that last carcass prepped for a
post-mortem," the nightcall Lani said.

"Good," the redhead said. "It'll be nice to get to work again." She
turned to face Kennon. "Now, Doctor--would you like to see your office?
Old Doc left a fine collection of notes on Lani anatomy and perhaps you
could do with a little review."

"I could do with a lot of it," Kennon admitted. "Unless the inner
structure of a Lani is as similar to human as their outer."

"There are differences," the redhead admitted. "After all, we aren't
quite alike."

"Perhaps I'd better do some reading," Kennon said.

"You need me any more?" Jordan asked.

"No--I think not."

"Good. I'll get back. Frankly, I don't like this any better than Blalok
or the boss, but I'm low man on that pole. See you later."

Kennon chuckled as Jordan left. "Now, let's get ready for that cadaver,"
he said.

"Carcass, doctor," the redhead corrected. "A cadaver is a dead human
body." She accented the "human."

Even in death there is no equality, Kennon thought. He nodded and
the Lani led the way to a door which opened into a good-sized office,
liberally covered with bookshelves. An old-fashioned plastic desk, some
office cybernetics, a battered voicewriter, and a few chairs completed
the furnishings. The redhead placed several large folio volumes in front
of him and stepped back from the desk as he leafed rapidly through
the color plates. It was an excellent atlas. Dr. Williamson had been a
careful and competent workman.

Half an hour later, well fortified with a positional knowledge of
Lani viscera, Kennon looked up at the redhead. She was still standing
patiently, a statue of red-gold and bronze.

"