until tomorrow morning. Those are my orders. I'm sorry. Besides, the body isn't going anywhere, you know. He’s dead and on total organ support," she said as she grinned, obviously amused with herself.
Leumas’s impatience began to grow with this unconcerned nurse, beads or no beads. But he knew he would have to be careful. So he started to tell the New York story again, and even used the puppy dog eyes thing, but the woman wouldn't budge. He was on a tight schedule, and he saw no other choice, even though it was expressly forbidden in the Council’s charter.
He drew himself inward and concentrated on his thoughts, drawing on energy that surrounded him and molding it to one single thought. He silently mouthed out each syllable of the images inside of his head until a pattern was complete, and then gently pushed it into the woman's brain, massaging it into her synaptic pathways, gently, very gently. I understand the urgency of this man's situation and, under my own authority, I will release the body of Greg Carlson to him. I understand that it may be a matter of life and death.
The nurse appeared suddenly taken back as the influence sank in. She had a glassy-eyed and slightly dazed look as she spoke. "Yes, of course… I will have the body brought immediately. What was I thinking? I feel so ashamed. This is a life-or-death matter." She immediately called two orderlies and made all the proper arrangements, shaking her head dazedly.
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Leumas said, smiling sympathetically. "We all have our jobs to do, and we wouldn't want anyone to get in trouble but, in cases such as this, we have to use our own judgment."
The nurse smiled foggily at him. "Thank you for being so understanding."
Within a few moments, Greg's cold, white, waxen body was rolled out into the corridor on a gurney similar to Sarah's, with the entire organ-supporting equipment still attached. Leumas stepped forward to accept custody of the body and to make his quick departure.
"Well you all have a nice 'Marty Gra' time and stuff," he said, throwing up his hand in farewell. "I'll take my friend here and buckle him in for the ride." He hustled Greg's body toward the door and stopped. He looked back at the nurse with the large beads, pointing. "You know, I really love the beads," he said, sighing, as he went out through the doors, pushing the gurney.
At first, the nurse smiled at him as if seeing an old friend from a memorable past, but once he had departed, her look changed to one of confusion and disorientation. She turned to one of the orderlies who had brought up the body.
"Weird one, there," she said, thumbing toward the exit. She rubbed her temples and said to the other orderly, "How about you do me a favor and swing by the pharmacy and pick me up some aspirin. I've got a wicked headache."
Leumas placed Greg next to Sarah in the stasis chamber on board the Blessed. He stared curiously at them both. Normally, the life forms chosen as subjects were unique in some way, either very intelligent, compassionate, natural leaders, or something. But he didn't sense any of these things as he looked into both of their faces. The female subject did seem to have some pretty qualities. She'd probably look better if she wasn't so pale though, he thought.
As he returned to the control center of his ship, Leumas wondered why they had been chosen.He felt it was a key partof the puzzle. Surprisingly enough, a little voice from earlier returned and sounded in his mind, Ask Copolla. Leumas chuckled at the simplicity of the answer. The more he thought about it the more humorous it became, and now he was almost in hysterics.
"Yes, that sure would be the direct approach," he said as his laughter subsided. "If things were only that simple." He checked his hair in the ship's small mirror, and retrieved his Zirean clothes from the synthesizer. He then directed the onboard computer to begin the journey back to Zire.
Upon his arrival, Leumas placed
Leumas’s impatience began to grow with this unconcerned nurse, beads or no beads. But he knew he would have to be careful. So he started to tell the New York story again, and even used the puppy dog eyes thing, but the woman wouldn't budge. He was on a tight schedule, and he saw no other choice, even though it was expressly forbidden in the Council’s charter.
He drew himself inward and concentrated on his thoughts, drawing on energy that surrounded him and molding it to one single thought. He silently mouthed out each syllable of the images inside of his head until a pattern was complete, and then gently pushed it into the woman's brain, massaging it into her synaptic pathways, gently, very gently. I understand the urgency of this man's situation and, under my own authority, I will release the body of Greg Carlson to him. I understand that it may be a matter of life and death.
The nurse appeared suddenly taken back as the influence sank in. She had a glassy-eyed and slightly dazed look as she spoke. "Yes, of course… I will have the body brought immediately. What was I thinking? I feel so ashamed. This is a life-or-death matter." She immediately called two orderlies and made all the proper arrangements, shaking her head dazedly.
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Leumas said, smiling sympathetically. "We all have our jobs to do, and we wouldn't want anyone to get in trouble but, in cases such as this, we have to use our own judgment."
The nurse smiled foggily at him. "Thank you for being so understanding."
Within a few moments, Greg's cold, white, waxen body was rolled out into the corridor on a gurney similar to Sarah's, with the entire organ-supporting equipment still attached. Leumas stepped forward to accept custody of the body and to make his quick departure.
"Well you all have a nice 'Marty Gra' time and stuff," he said, throwing up his hand in farewell. "I'll take my friend here and buckle him in for the ride." He hustled Greg's body toward the door and stopped. He looked back at the nurse with the large beads, pointing. "You know, I really love the beads," he said, sighing, as he went out through the doors, pushing the gurney.
At first, the nurse smiled at him as if seeing an old friend from a memorable past, but once he had departed, her look changed to one of confusion and disorientation. She turned to one of the orderlies who had brought up the body.
"Weird one, there," she said, thumbing toward the exit. She rubbed her temples and said to the other orderly, "How about you do me a favor and swing by the pharmacy and pick me up some aspirin. I've got a wicked headache."
Leumas placed Greg next to Sarah in the stasis chamber on board the Blessed. He stared curiously at them both. Normally, the life forms chosen as subjects were unique in some way, either very intelligent, compassionate, natural leaders, or something. But he didn't sense any of these things as he looked into both of their faces. The female subject did seem to have some pretty qualities. She'd probably look better if she wasn't so pale though, he thought.
As he returned to the control center of his ship, Leumas wondered why they had been chosen.He felt it was a key partof the puzzle. Surprisingly enough, a little voice from earlier returned and sounded in his mind, Ask Copolla. Leumas chuckled at the simplicity of the answer. The more he thought about it the more humorous it became, and now he was almost in hysterics.
"Yes, that sure would be the direct approach," he said as his laughter subsided. "If things were only that simple." He checked his hair in the ship's small mirror, and retrieved his Zirean clothes from the synthesizer. He then directed the onboard computer to begin the journey back to Zire.
Upon his arrival, Leumas placed
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