"Because the Five Bureau tells us that a badly burned man was brought here, was treated by you. Tell me, doctor, was he an Earthman? Did he survive? Is he here now?" "If he survived," said Quotis slowly, "wouldn't he have got in touch with you?" Gawroi said, "We thought an injury, a blow on the head...." "The man I treated was a Kedaki." "Yes?" "Yes." "You speak in the past tense," Gawroi said. The words came automatically. He was thinking: you fool, Gawroi. That was a mistake. A bad mistake. Naturally, if Rhodes was your friend Rhodes would have contacted you after his accident. How can you think it was amnesia, when total amnesia is such a rare thing? See? See the Arcturan doctor? He's suspicious now. Does that mean the man _was_ an Earthman? "I treated him," Quotis said. "He's gone now." "Treatment successful, doctor? But that is wonderful. I heard the man was severely burned. Do you have his picture?" "No," said Quotis promptly. "Could you have been mistaken?" "About what?" "About this man's planetality? Tell me, doctor, could he have been an Earthman?" "His skin was burned completely. His memory was gone. He might have been anything," Quotis admitted reluctantly. * * * * * Gawroi thought: that was a break. The man actually did have amnesia. He said, "There, you see? It was as I thought. But tell me, doctor: he suffered from amnesia, and you let him go?" "He was an adult. It was his decision to make. I didn't approve of it." "You have a clinical description of the man?" "Of course." "Can you forward it to my office?" "I'll do that. If it's possible for you to tell me why this Earthman is so important to you...?" "Why? Why is Philip Rhodes important?" boomed Gawroi. "Because he was my friend, Dr. Quotis! I want to find my friend! Is that strange?" "No," Quotis admitted. "Well, did Rhodes leave a forwarding address?" "He did not. He may contact me. I rather think he will." "Splendid, doctor. Splendid. When he does, assuming there is some possibility that this is the same man, will you tell him to contact me at once. With my help he will be able to take up the thread of his former existence," Gawroi finished enthusiastically. But he was thinking: in a Five Bureau torture cell, where he belongs, this extra-Kedaki, this alien who has dared to counterfeit his own criminally inaccurate version of the _Book of the Dead_. "I'll let you know," Quotis said. "If you happen to have a picture of this Earthman Rhodes, I may be able to offer an opinion now." Gawroi nodded. "I can oblige you with that." He rummaged in a pocket of his tunic with big, capable hands. He handed a small glossy photograph to Dr. Quotis. It was of a young, smiling Earthman, in color, showing the faintly tan, almost white Earth complexion starkly against a background of green vegetation.