Illegal Alien

"No," said Kelkad. "Here is another one — the left front, it looks like." He continued to pull out the drawer. "And a third one — right rear," he said. He pulled on the drawer again. "And a fourth — the left rear."

"Are you sure it’s the left rear," asked Dale. "Or are you just anticipating that?"

Kelkad’s front eyes compressed from the sides — a Tosok squint. "No, it is indeed the left rear."

"Anything else in there?" asked Dale.

Kelkad yanked on the handle some more. There were two additional compartments in the drawer, but both were empty. "No."

"So, just to be clear for the jury, there are four hearts there, correct?"

"Yes."

"And a normal Tosok has four discrete, individual hearts."

"That is right."

"And those four hearts are each distinct in shape."

"The overall shape is pretty much the same, but the positioning of the valves is unique on each one."

"Thank you. Let’s move on to the next compartment."

Frank pushed lightly off the wall and repositioned himself, with his hand flat against the cool, glowing ceiling.

"This one is also a refrigerated compartment," said Kelkad. "And it is also labeled in Hask’s handwriting. It says ‘organs for transplant — lungs.’ " His finger traced out the words as he pointed to them.

"Please open the compartment."

Kelkad did so.

"Please pull it out all the way," said Dale’s voice.

The captain gave a healthy yank. As soon as he let go of the four-holed handle, he began sailing under inertia across the room. Frank jockeyed for position. Inside the drawer were four blue semicircular masses.

"What is inside the compartment?" asked Dale from Earth.

"Four Tosok lungs," replied Kelkad, having now floated back.

"The normal number found in a Tosok body, correct?"

"Correct."

"Is there any way to distinguish a right-front lung, say, from a right-rear lung?" asked Dale.

"Not without doing a dissection or tissue scan," said Kelkad. "Indeed, they are essentially interchangeable — you can successfully transplant a lung from any position into any other position."

"And these four lungs, they were not in storage either when you left your home world?"

"No. As I said, we had no organs of any kind in storage. These would have been harvested from Seltar at the same time her hearts were taken out."

"And the next chamber over, what does that contain?"

"The label says it contains gebarda — the cleansing organs that serve the same function as your kidneys and spleen."

"Please pull that drawer all the way open," said Dale.

Kelkad did so, this time managing to keep his position near Frank.

"Are there four organs in there?"

Kelkad’s tuft moved forward in assent. "Yes."

"Thank you," said Dale. "Now, being mindful of the Court’s time, perhaps rather than searching methodically, we can have you simply go straight to whatever drawer might contain Seltar’s kivart."

Kelkad closed the hexagonal drawer containing the four gebarda, then sca

"We’re waiting, Kelkad," said Dale’s voice.

"I am looking for it."

"I do have the term correct, don’t I?" said Dale. "The kivart is the single organ in the Tosok body responsible for producing free-floating nerve bundles?"

"Yes," said Kelkad. "But I do not see it here."

"The kivart can be harvested for transplant, can’t it?"

"Yes."

"In fact, as an organ that a Tosok has only one of, it’s one of the most important ones to harvest, isn’t it?"

"Yes."

"Indeed, a Tosok can get by for extended periods with only three lungs, no?"

"In fact," said Kelkad, "in the elderly, the strain of transplanting a fourth lung outweighs the benefits of having it in most cases."

"Indeed, you can get by, as long as you don’t exert yourself, for an extended period with just two lungs, correct?"

"That is right."

"And, again so long as one doesn’t exert oneself, three hearts, or even just two, would be enough to allow life to continue, no?"

"That is right."

"But the kivart — well, if the kivart goes, severe motor-control problems develop almost at once, isn’t that so?"

"Yes," said Kelkad.

"Indeed, without his or her one and only kivart, a Tosok would die quickly, no?"

"That is correct."

"And so," said Dale, "Hask would doubtless have harvested Seltar’s kivart, which, in many ways, is the most crucial of all the organs to recover, and—"

A muffled sound, then Judge Pringle’s voice: "Mr. Rice, caution your client. I will not tolerate outbursts in my courtroom."

"I’m sorry, Your Honor. Hask, be quiet—"

Hask’s untranslated voice, plus the near-simultaneous translation, both somewhat murky, as if being picked up by a microphone some distance away: "Do not pursue this line of questioning."

"I’m sorry, Hask." Dale’s voice. "It’s my job to defend you."

"I do not wish this defense."

"Mr. Rice." Judge Pringle again. "Mr. Rice."

"A moment, Your Honor."

"Mr. Rice, the Court is waiting."

"Hask." Dale’s voice. "Hask, I’m going to finish."

"But—"

Judge Pringle: " Mr. Rice—"

"Kelkad," said Dale, "it is true that the kivart is a crucial organ, yes?"

"Most definitely."

"And yet it is missing from the collection of harvested body parts, no?"

"Apparently."

"Hask would have known to harvest it, no?"

"Doubtless. And, regardless, he would have consulted the procedures manual when confronted with Seltar’s accidental death; that would have reminded him."

"So expected body parts are missing here, too, aren’t they?" said Dale.

"Just as they were from Dr. Calhoun’s body?"

"I— I suppose that is true," said Kelkad.

"Thank you," said Dale. "Your witness, Ms. Ziegler."

"Umm, no questions," said a muffled voice. Ziegler sounded perplexed — and Frank didn’t blame her. It seemed as if Dale was arguing Ziegler’s own case: that Hask had first practiced his aberrant behavior on one of his own before trying it on a human being.

*34*

The camera had been shut off. Frank floated in the starship’s sickbay, looking at Kelkad. They were more alone than any two people in the solar system right now; even Mir currently had more people aboard, as well as constant contact with the ground crew in Kaliningrad.

"We should return to the planet," said Kelkad.

The planet. Not "to Earth." Not "home." The planet. The gulf between them was gigantic.

And yet Frank knew he would never have another chance like this one — away from the other Tosoks, away from the media, away from the rest of the scientific entourage, away from the court.

"Kelkad," said Frank, "privately, just between you and me, do you think Hask killed Clete?"

Kelkad did not hesitate. "Yes."

The word surprised Frank. He’d expected a denial — but perhaps denial was a human failing.

"But why? Why would he commit murder? Is he — is he crazy?"

Kelkad’s tuft moved backward in negation. "No more than any of us."

"Then why would he do it?"

Kelkad pushed gently off the wall. "We should leave."

"No, please. Just between you and me. I have to know."

"You would not understand."

Frank thought about that. It had always been a possibility — that the aliens’ psychology would prove so different, so bizarre, that none of their actions would ever make sense to a human. "Try me," he said simply.

Kelkad had reached the far side of the room. He stuck out his front hand to brake himself. Once he’d touched the wall, he began to drift slowly back in the other direction. He seemed to be thinking, as if deciding how to possibly put the idea into words the human might understand. "Like you," he said at last, "we believed we were created in God’s own image — and that meant we must be perfect beings, divinely designed and flawlessly executed. It gave us great comfort knowing this — how much easier the problems of life are to bear when you know you are a child of God!"