"Well, do it my way then!" Cal fumbled for the needle and then with a steady hand he broke the glass ampule and filled the needle. "Is this still good?" "It never deteriorates in a vacuum. We must chance everything." Cal inserted the needle and discharged the contents. His face was gray. "Now," said Tinker. "I'm immobilized completely from the shoulder blades down and can't harm myself. Cal, find the library and locate the reel that will deal on vertebra and spinal operations." "How do you know it is here?" demanded Cal. "It's listed, in Murdoch's diary. Now quit arguing and go!" "How come this diary isn't common knowledge?" "Because too many prominent people did not want their names mentioned as fostering Murdoch's surgery. Their offspring have never known about it and the medical profession has been keeping it under their hats so long that it has become a habit like the Px mark." Cal located the library and consulted the card file. He returned with a reel of film. He inserted the reel into the operating room projector and focused it on the screen. As the film progressed, Cal took the proper tools from the boiling water, and placed them on a sterilized carrier. Then as Tinker instructed him through a system of mirrors, Cal lifted the scalpel and made his first incision. With increasing skill, Cal applied retractors and hemostats and tweezers. Tinker kept up a running fire of comment, and the motion picture on the screen progressed as he did, with appropriate close-ups to show the condition of the wound during each step. Cal came upon the fractured bone as it said he should, and then though the fracture was not just as that in the picture, Cal plied his instruments carefully and lifted the crushed bone away from the spinal cord. With a wide-field microscope, Cal inspected the cord. "Can't tell, Tinker. I don't know anything about it." "And I can't see it too well. Look, Cal. Don't touch it. It may be only bruised. Run the projector over to the replacing-operation and put the stuff back according to directions. If the cord is damaged, they can repair it at the Association. You'll be responsible for getting me there, anyway." "All right," said Cal. With tiny splints, Cal fastened the splintered bone back into place. It was as painstaking a job as putting a fine watch back together again, and as tedious as breaking the worst code in history. But Cal succeeded finally, and the final wrappings were placed by hands that were beginning to shake. * * * * * The plane from Northern Landing located them from Cal's master oscillator and came in for a landing. The official in the plane wasted no time. He ordered two of his helpers to install Tinker--stretcher and all--in his flier and they all took off after leaving a guard at Murdoch's Hoard. * * * * *