in a true
Confederation of worlds for any one race of people that considered
itself superior to all the rest. No race can be admitted to the
Confederation until its members have demonstrated that they are capable
of tolerance, willing to accept the members of other races on an equal
footing. And it has always been the nature of Earthmen to be intolerant,
to assume that one who looks strange and behaves differently must
somehow be inferior."

The Black Doctor crossed the room and opened a folder on the desk. "You
can read the details some other time, if you like. You were selected by
the Galactic Confederation from a thousand possible applicants, to serve
as a test case, to see if a place could be made for you on Hospital
Earth. No one here was told of your position--not even you--although
certain of us suspected the truth. The Confederation wanted to see if a
well-qualified, likeable and intelligent creature from another world
would be accepted and elevated to equal rank as a physician with
Earthmen."

Dal stared at him. "And I was the one?"

"You were the one. It was a struggle, all right, but Hospital Earth has
finally satisfied the Confederation. At the end of this conclave we will
be admitted to full membership and given a permanent seat and vote in
the galactic council. Our probationary period will be over. But enough
of that. What about you? What are your plans? What do you propose to do
now that you have that star on your collar?"

They talked then about the future. Tiger Martin had been appointed to
the survey crew returning to 31 Brucker VII, at his own request, while
Jack was accepting a temporary teaching post in the great diagnostic
clinic at Hospital Philadelphia. There were a dozen things that Dal had
considered, but for the moment he wanted only to travel from medical
center to medical center on Hospital Earth, observing and studying in
order to decide how he would best like to use his abilities and his
position as a Physician from Hospital Earth. "It will be in surgery, of
course," he said. "Just where in surgery, or what kind, I don't know
just yet. But there will be time enough to decide that."

"Then go along," Dr. Arnquist said, "with my congratulations and
blessing. You have taught us a great deal, and perhaps you have learned
some things at the same time."

Dal hesitated for a moment. Then he nodded. "I've learned some things,"
he said, "but there's still one thing that I want to do before I