planet was a popular resort
area for oxygen-breathing creatures; most of the natives were engaged in
some work related to winter sports. They were well fitted anatomically
for their climate, with thick black fur, broad flat hind feet and a
four-inch layer of fat between their skin and their vital organs.

Swiftly Dal reviewed the emergency file, checking for common drugs and
chemicals that were poisonous to Moruans, accidents that were common to
the race, and special problems that had been met by previous patrol
ships. The deeper he dug into the mass of data, the more worried he
became. Where should he begin? Searching in the dark, there was no way
to guess what information would be necessary and what part totally
useless.

He buzzed Tiger. "Any word on the nature of the trouble?" he asked.

"Just got through to them," Tiger said. "Not too much to go on, but
they're really in an uproar. Sounds like they've started some kind of
organ-transplant surgery and their native surgeon got cold feet halfway
through and wants us to bail him out." Tiger paused. "I think this is
going to be your show, Dal. Better check up on Moruan anatomy."

It was better than no information, but not much better. Fuzzy huddled on
Dal's shoulder as if he could sense his master's excitement. Very few
races under contract with Hospital Earth ever attempted their own major
surgery. If a Moruan surgeon had walked into a tight spot in the
operating room, it could be a real test of skill to get him--and his
patient--out of it, even on a relatively simple procedure. But
organ-transplantation, with the delicate vascular surgery and
micro-surgery that it entailed, was never simple. In incompetent hands,
it could turn into a nightmare.

Dal took a deep breath and began running the anatomical atlas tapes
through the reader, checking the critical points of Moruan anatomy.
Oxygen-transfer system, circulatory system, renal filtration system--at
first glance, there was little resemblance to any of the "typical"
oxygen-breathing mammals Dal had studied in medical school. But then
something struck a familiar note, and he remembered studying the
peculiar Moruan renal system, in which the creature's chemical waste
products were filtered from the bloodstream in a series of tubules
passing across the peritoneum, and re-absorbed into the intestine for
excretion. Bit by bit other points of the anatomy came clear, and in
half an hour of intense study Dal began to see