"What paradox is this you propose?" Kelexel demanded. And he was proud that his voice remained level, calm and questing.
Gently, gently, Fraffin thought. He"s well hooked, but he mustn"t struggle with me too much -- not yet.
"An amusing thing," Fraffin said. "Observe." He gestured at the pantovive"s stage, manipulated the controls.
Kelexel turned reluctantly, stared at the projected scene -- the same drab room, the same barred window with its red and white curtains, the hissing radiator, Murphey seated in the same position at the scarred table. It was a tableau, identical with the scene they"d just watched except that another native sat behind Murphey, his back to the observers, a clipboard and papers on his knees.
Like Murphey, this new figure conveyed an impression of excessive bulk. The visible curve of cheek when he turned his head showed choleric. The back of his neck carried a sanitary, barber-sc.r.a.ped appearance.
A scattered stack of the inkblot cards lay on the table before Murphey. He was tapping a finger on the back of one of them.
As Kelexel studied the scene, he observed a subtle difference in Murphey. There was a suggestion of greater calm. He was more relaxed, more sure of himself.
Fraffin cleared his throat, said: "The native writing on that pad is another witch doctor, Whelye, an a.s.sociate of Thurlow"s. He has just finished administering the same test to Murphey. Observe him carefully."
"Why?" Kelexel asked. This repet.i.tion of native rites was beginning to bore him.
"Just observe," Fraffin said.
Abruptly, Murphey picked up the card he"d been tapping, looked at it, discarded it.
Whelye turned, raised his head to expose a round face, two b.u.t.tons of blue eyes, a steep shelf of nose and thin mouth. Satisfaction poured from him as though it were a light he shone on everything within range of his senses. In the satisfaction there lay a stalking craftiness.
"That card," he said, his voice petulant. "Why"d you look at that card again?"
"I . . . ah, just wanted another look," Murphey said. He lowered his head.
"Do you see something new in it?"
"What I always see in it -- an animal skin."
Whelye stared at the back of Murphey"s head with a look of glee. "An animal skin, the kind you trapped when you were a boy."
"I made a lot of money off those skins. Always had an eye for money."
Whelye"s head bobbed up and down, a curious wracking motion that rippled a fold of flesh against his collar. "Would you like a second look at any of the other cards?"
Murphey wet his lips with his tongue. "Guess not."
"Interesting," Whelye murmured.
Murphey turned slightly, spoke without looking at the psychiatrist. "Doc, maybe you"d tell me something."
"What?"
"I had this test from another of you headshrinkers, you know -- from Thurlow. What"s it show?"
Something fierce and pouncing arose in Whelye"s face. "Didn"t Thurlow tell you?"
"No. I figured you"re more of a right guy, that you"d level with me."
Whelye looked down at the papers in his lap, moved his pencil absently. He began filling in the "o"s" of a printed line. "Thurlow has no medical degree."
"Yeah, but what"s the test show about me?"
Whelye completed his pencil work on the line of print, sat back and examined it. "It takes a little time to evaluate the data," he said, "but I"d hazard a guess you"re as normal as the next fellow."
"Does that mean I"m sane?" Murphey asked. He stared at the table, breath held, waiting.
"As sane as I am," Whelye said.
A deep sigh escaped Murphey. He smiled, looked sidelong at the inkblot cards. "Thanks, Doc."
The scene faded abruptly.
Kelexel shook his head, looked across the desk to see Fraffin"s hand on the pantovive"s cutoff controls. The Director was grinning at him.
"See," Fraffin said. "Someone else who thinks Murphey"s sane, someone who agrees with you."
"You said you were going to show me Thurlow."
"But I did!"
"I don"t understand."
"Didn"t you see the compulsive way this witch doctor filled in those letters on his paper? Did you see Thurlow doing anything like that?"
"No, but . . ."
"And didn"t you notice how much this witch doctor enjoyed Murphey"s fear?"
"But fear can be amusing at times."
"And pain, and violence?" Fraffin asked.
"Certainly, if they"re handled correctly."
Fraffin continued to stare at him, smiling.
I enjoy their fear, too, Kelexel thought. Is that what this insane director"s suggesting? Is he trying to compare me to these . . . creatures? Any Chem enjoys such things!
"Some of these natives have conceived the strange idea," Fraffin said, "that anything which degrades life -- degrades any life -- is a sickness."
"But that depends entirely on what form of life"s degraded," Kelexel objected. "Surely, even these natives of yours wouldn"t hesitate to degrade a . . . a . . . a worm!"
Fraffin merely stared at him.
"Well?" Kelexel demanded.