't ask any more questions.
There's nothing we can do now about it. But we can still find out
about the magter. Will you examine the corpse?"

She started to ask something, then changed her mind. When she
dropped her eyes Brion felt the thin shiver that went through her
body. "There's something terribly wrong," she said. "I know that.
I guess I'll have to take your word that it's best not to ask
questions. Help me up, will you, darling? My legs are absolutely
liquid."

Leaning on him, with his arm around her supporting most of her
weight, she went slowly across to the corpse. She looked down and
shuddered. "Not what you would call a natural death," she said.
Ulv watched intently as she took the scalpel out of its holder.
"You don't have to look at this," she told him in halting Disan.
"Not if you don't want to."

"I want to," he told her, not taking his eyes from the body.
"I have never seen a magter dead before, or without covering,
like an ordinary person." He continued to stare fixedly.

"Find me some drinking water, will you, Brion?" Lea said. "And
spread the tarp under the body. These things are quite messy."

After drinking the water she seemed stronger, and could stand
without holding onto the table with both hands. Placing the tip of
the scalpel just below the magter's breast bone, she made the long
post-mortem incision down to the pubic symphysis. The great,
body-length wound gaped open like a red mouth. Across the table Ulv
shuddered but didn't avert his eyes.

One by one she removed the internal organs. Once she looked up at
Brion, then quickly returned to work. The silence stretched on and
on until Brion had to break it.

"Tell me, can't you? Have you found out anything?"

His words snapped the thin strand of her strength, and she staggered
back to the couch and collapsed onto it. Her bloodstained hands hung
over the side, making a strangely terrible contrast to the whiteness
of her skin.

"I'm sorry, Brion," she said. "But there's nothing, nothing at all.
There are minor differences, organic changes I've never seen
before--his liver is tremendous, for one thing. But changes like
this are certainly consistent within the pattern of homo sapiens
as adapted to a different planet. He's a man. Changed, adapted,
modified--but still just as human as you or I."

"How can you be sure?" Brion broke in. "You haven't examined him
completely, have you?" She shook her head. "Then go on. The other
organs. His