The Quest

Despite the good food and wine they did not sit for long. Gibba was the first to come to his feet. 'We must rise early on the morrow,'

he reminded them, and they all stood to thank Ha

I

Before she allowed Taita to depart she said, 'I wanted you to meet them because they will assist me tomorrow. Your injuries are much more extensive than that of your protege and, what is more, they have consolidated over the years. There will be considerably more work for us, and we need the extra hands and experience. Furthermore we will not be able to work in your quarters, as we did with Colonel Cambyses. The operation will be carried out in the rooms where I made my initial examination.' She took his arm and led him to the door. 'The other surgeons will join me tomorrow morning to conduct the final examination and plan our surgical strategy. I wish you a peaceful night, Lord Taita.'

The major-domo was waiting to show Taita back to his quarters, and Taita followed him without taking account of their route through the complex of passages and galleries. He was thinking about the conversations in which he had participated that evening when his reverie was interrupted by the sound of weeping. He stopped to listen. It came from not far away, and there was no doubt that it was a woman's. She sounded as though she was in the extremes of despair. When the major-domo realized that Taita had paused and was no longer following him closely, he turned back.

'Who is that woman?' Taita asked.

'Those are the cells of the house slaves. Perhaps one has been punished for her faults.' The man shrugged with indifference. 'Please don't concern yourself, Lord Taita. We should go on.'

Taita saw that there was no point in pursuing the matter. The man's aura showed that he was intractable, and that he was simply following the orders of his superiors.

'Lead on,' Taita agreed, but from there he noted their route carefully.

After he has left me, I will return to investigate, he decided. However, his interest in the weeping woman faded rapidly, and before they reached his quarters it had been obliterated from his mind. He lay down on his sleeping mat and fell almost immediately into an easy, untroubled sleep.

The major-domo came for him as soon as he had breakfasted; He led Taita to Ha

They began with the preliminary examination, not neglecting the product of his digestive processes, the smell of his breath, the condition of his skin and the soles of his feet. Dr Rei opened his mouth and looked at his tongue, gums and teeth. 'Lord Taita's teeth are much worn and corroded, Dr Ha

Ha

At last they arrived at the site of his injuries. They hovered over his lower body, pressing and touching the area of the cicatrice. Rei measured it with a pair of calipers, and made notes on a papyrus scroll in small, beautifully drawn hieroglyphics. While they worked they discussed the mutilated area in dispassionate detail.

'All the scar tissue will have to be dissected out. We must get down to the raw flesh and the open blood vessels so that the seeding will have a firm foundation on which to grow,' Ha

Rei used a bronze needle to trace the nerve endings. It was torture to submit to her probe. Quickly Taita controlled his mind to filter out the pain. Rei realized what he was doing and told him sternly, 'I admire your ability to suppress pain, Lord Taita, as it will stand you in good stead later. However, during my examination you must let it through. If you continue to block it, I will be unable to discover which part of your flesh is dead and must be removed, and which is alive for us to build upon.'

She used black dye to draw lines and symbols on his lower body to guide Ha

I

sweating from the torment she had inflicted. While he recovered, the four surgeons discussed her conclusions.

'It is as well that we have on hand more than the usual quantity of seeding. The area we will have to recover is larger than I first calculated.

Taking into account the amount needed for the new teeth, we shall require all that I have harvested,' Ha

'That is indeed so. The open area will be extensive, and will take much longer to heal than any reconstruction we have attempted previously.

By what means can we ensure the passage of urine and faeces from the site without contaminating the wound?' asked Gibba.

'The anus will not be involved, and will continue to function in its accustomed ma

Although Taita was the subject, he managed to maintain an objective interest in the discussion and even made contributions that the others welcomed. When every facet of the procedure had been covered in exhaustive detail, Assem referred to him one last time: 'I have herbs that can be used to suppress pain, but perhaps they will not be necessary.

While Dr Rei was examining you, I was amazed by your technique of pain control. Will you be able to use it during the operation, or should I employ my potions?'

'I am sure that they are most effective, but I would prefer to control the pain myself,' Taita told him.

'I shall observe your technique with the utmost attention.'

It was the middle of the afternoon before Ha

We ca

It is essential that we finish during daylight hours. Oil lamps will give insufficient light for our needs.'

'I will be ready,' Taita assured her.

When Taita arrived at Ha