Petar laughed and took Joze's water glass from the nightstand. "That's not so hard to find out," he said, and dipped it into the pot. He raised the half-filled glass, sniffed at it, then took a sip and puckered his lips. "Tastes like ordinary seawater to me, but there's another taste, sort of bitter."
Joze took the glass from him. "This could be dangerous," the doctor protested, but they ignored him. Yes, salt water, hot salt water with a sharpness to it.
"It tastes like more than a trace of iodine. Can you test for the presence of iodine, Doctor?"
"Here… no, it is quite complicated. In the laboratory with the correct equipment—" His voice trailed off as he opened his bag on the table and groped through it. He brought his hand out empty. "In the laboratory."
"We have no laboratory or any other assistance, Doctor. We will have to be satisfied with what we have here, ordinary sea water will have to do."
"I'll get a bucket and fill the tub," Petar said.
"Good. But don't fill the bathtub yet. Bring the water into the kitchen and we'll heat it, then pour it in."
"Right." Petar brushed past the silent and staring priest and was gone. Joze looked at Father Perc and thought of the people of the village.
"Stay here, Doctor," he said. "This alien is your patient and I don't think anyone other than you should come near. Just sit by him."
"Yes, of course, that is correct," Dr. Bratos said relieved, pulling the chair over and sitting down.
The breakfast fire was still burning in the big stove and flamed up when Joze slid in more sticks. On the wall hung the big copper washtub and he dropped it onto the stove-with a clang. Behind him the widow's bedroom door opened, but slammed shut again when he turned. Petar came in with a bucket of water and poured it into the tub.
"What are the people doing?" Joze asked.
"Just milling about and bothering each other. They won't be any-trouble. If you're worried about them, I can drive back to Osor and bring the police. Or telephone someone."
"No, I should, have thought of that earlier. Right now I need you here. You're the only one who isn't either senile or ignorant."
Petar smiled. "I'll get some more water."
The bathtub was small and the washtub big. When the heated water was dumped in it filled it more than halfway, enough to cover the small alien. There was a drain from the bathtub but no faucets: it was usually filled with a hose from the sink. Joze picked up the alien, cradling it like a child in his arms, and carried it into the bath. The eyes were open again, following his every movement, but making no protest. He lowered the creature gently into the water, then straightened a moment and took a deep breath. "Helmet first, then we'll try to figure out how the suit opens." He bent and slowly twisted the clamps.
With all four clamps open the helmet moved freely. He opened it a wide crack, ready to close it quickly if there were any signs of trouble. The ocean water would be flowing in now, mixing with the alien water, yet the creature made no complaint. After a minute Joze slowly pulled the helmet off, cradling the alien's head with one hand so that it would not bump to the bottom of the tub.
Once the helmet was clear the pulpy crest above the eyes sprang up like a coxcomb, reaching up over the top of the green head. A wire ran from the helmet to a shiny bit of metal on one side of the creature's skull. There was an indentation there and Joze slowly pulled a metal plug out, perhaps an earphone of some kind. The alien was opening and closing its mouth, giving a glimpse of bony yellow ridges inside, and a very low humming could be heard.
Petar pressed his ear against the outside of the metal tube.
"The thing is talking or something, I can hear it."
"Let me have your stethoscope, Doctor," Joze said, but when the doctor did not move he dug it from the bag himself. Yes — when he pressed it to the metal he could hear a rising and falling whine, speech of a kind.
"We can't possibly understand him — not yet," he said, handing the stethoscope back to the doctor, who took it automatically. "We had better try to get the suit off."
There were no seams or fastenings visible, nor could Joze find anything when he ran his fingers over the smooth surface. The alien must have understood what they were doing because it jerkingly raised one hand and fumbled at the metal sealing ring about the collar. With a liquid motion the suit split open down the front; the opening bifurcated and ran down each leg. There was a sudden welling of blue liquid from the injured leg. Joze had a quick glimpse of green flesh, strange organs, then he spun about. "Quick, Doctor — your bag. The creature is hurt, that fluid might be blood, we have to help it."
"What can I do?" Dr. Bratos said, unmoving. "Drugs, antiseptics — I might kill it — we know nothing of its body chemistry."
"Then don't use any of those. This is a traumatic injury, you can bind it up, stop the bleeding, can't you?"
