"James White - SG 09 - Galactic Gourmet" - читать интересную книгу автора (White James)

Taking into consideration the very high levels of species toleration and
professional respect among its personnel, the Lieutenant explained, and in spite of the
careful psychological screening they all had to undergo before being accepted for
service in a multi-environment hospital, there were still situations when serious inter-
species and interpersonal friction could occur. Potentially dangerous situations could
occur through simple ignorance or misunderstanding or, more seriously, an entity
could develop a xenophobic neurosis towards a patient or colleague which might
affect its professional competence or mental stability. It was O'Mara and his
department's duty to detect and eradicate such problems or, as a last resort, to remove
the potentially troublesome individual from the hospital. There were times when this
constant watch for signs of wrong, unhealthy or intolerant thinking, which the Major
and his staff performed with such dedication, made them the most disliked beings in
the hospital.
"...For administrative reasons," Timmins continued, "O'Mara bears the rank of
Major in the Monitor Corps. There are many officers and medical staff here who are
nominally his senior, but keeping so many different and potentially antagonistic life-
forms working together in harmony is a big job whose limits, like those of O'Mara's
authority, are difficult to define."
"I have long understood," said Gurronsevas, "the difference between rank and
authority."
"That's good," said Timmins, pointing at the large door they were approaching.
"This is the Department of Other-Species Psychology. After you, sir."
He found himself in a large outer office containing four desk consoles ranged on
each side of a broad, clear stretch of floor leading to an inner door. Only three of the
desks were occupied—by a Tarlan, a Sommaradvan, and another Monitor Corps
officer of the same rank and species as Timmins. The Tarlan and Sommaradvan
remained bent over their work, but each curled an eye inquisitively in his direction,
and the other officer looked at him Earth-human fashion with both its eyes. Placing
his six feet as gently as possible against the floor so as to minimize undue noise and
vibration, a politeness he practiced among lower-gravity entities in confined sur-
roundings, he moved further into the room.
He remained silent because in these circumstances he did not consider it proper
to speak to any subordinate person until he had first spoken to their superior.
Timmins said briskly, "Gurronsevas, newly arrived on Tennochlan, to see the
Major."
The other officer smiled and said, "He is waiting for you, Gurronsevas. Please go
in. Alone."
The inner door slid open and Timmins said quietly, "Good luck, sir."
Chapter 2

The inner office of the Chief Psychologist was larger than the outer one, Gurronsevas
saw, and if anything it resembled a well-appointed torture chamber from his native
Traltha's pre-civilized past. Ranged around the walls and encroaching towards the
center of the floor, and in two cases hanging from the ceiling, was a weird and
wonderful assortment of furniture that was designed to enable the different species
with business in the office to sit, lie, curl up, or hang at ease. As a member of a
species who preferred to work, eat, sleep and do everything else standing on its six
feet (except on occasions when eye-level other-species social intercourse was
necessary), Gurronsevas found these office accessories of marginal interest. That was
why he moved without hesitation to stand in the clear area of floor before the