"So the image our hospital is presenting to all these Very Serious People is that our top opper is a Sparashki.  Now that things have quieted down slightly, I just thought I should take a moment and actually say that."

"Uh huh.  And?"

     "Are we comfortable with that?"

"Why wouldn't we be comfortable with it?"

     "I mean, I'm fine with our sentience-embracing employment practices, I think it's a great image, myself -"

"Okay, good, because for a second there I thought you were about to go all speciesist on me.  If our best employee for the job is a Sparashki, a Sparashki gets the job."

     "Look, I'm just trying to establish common knowledge about whether we are all, in fact, fine with this."

"I literally can't think of a single valid reason why we shouldn't be."

    "Okay, but look, combine it with the secrecy requirement, and Merrin's apparently superhuman endurance, and there could be people in those secret markets wondering if Sparashki are real and the whole standard-alien business is a smokescreen to hide any who go out in public."

"I mean, there almost certainly aren't.  But if anybody is actually wondering that, what part of that would not be unutterably awesome?"

     "Fine, fair point.  It's just -"

"Just what?"

     "Why is Merrin an aquatic-stage Sparashi female today?"

"I'm sure if we were cleared to know that, Exception Handling would have told us already."

     "So the image our hospital is presenting to all these Very Serious People is that our top opper is a Sparashki in a swimsuit.  Now that things have quieted down slightly, I just thought I should take a moment and actually say that."

"Uh huh.  And?"

     "Are we comfortable with that?"

"Why wouldn't we be comfortable with it?"

     "I mean, I'm fine with our sentience-embracing employment practices, I think it's a great image, myself -"

"Okay, good, because for a second there I thought you were about to go all speciesist on me.  If our best employee for the job is a Sparashki, a Sparashki gets the job."

     "Look, I'm just trying to establish common knowledge about whether we are all, in fact, fine with this."

"I literally can't think of a single valid reason why we shouldn't be."

    "Okay, but look, combine it with the secrecy requirement, and Merrin's apparently superhuman endurance, and there could be people in those secret markets wondering if Sparashki are real and the whole standard-alien business is a smokescreen to hide any who go out in public."

"I mean, there almost certainly aren't.  But if anybody is actually wondering that, what part of that would not be unutterably awesome?"

     "Fine, fair point.  It's just -"

"Just what?"

     "Why is Merrin an aquatic-stage Sparashi today?"

"I'm sure if we were cleared to know that, Exception Handling would have told us already."

     "So the image our hospital is presenting to all these Very Serious People is that our top opper is a Sparashki in a swimsuit.  Now that things have quieted down slightly, I just thought I should take a moment and say that."

"Uh huh.  And?"

     "Are we comfortable with that?"

"Why wouldn't we be comfortable with it?"

     "I mean, I'm fine with our sentience-embracing employment practices, I think it's a great image, myself -"

"Okay, good, because for a second there I thought you were about to go all speciesist on me.  If our best employee for the job is a Sparashki, a Sparashki gets the job."

     "Look, I'm just trying to establish common knowledge about whether we are all, in fact, fine with this."

"I literally can't think of a single valid reason why we shouldn't be."

    "Okay, but look, combine it with the secrecy requirement, and Merrin's apparently superhuman endurance, and there could be people in those secret markets wondering if Sparashki are real and the whole standard-alien business is a smokescreen to hide any who go out in public."

"I mean, there almost certainly aren't.  But if anybody is actually wondering that, what part of that would not be unutterably awesome?"

     "Fine, fair point.  It's just -"

"Just what?"

     "Why is Merrin an aquatic-stage Sparashki today?"

"I'm sure if we were cleared to know that, Exception Handling would have told us already."

     "So the image our hospital is presenting to all these Very Serious People is that our top opper is a Sparashki in a swimsuit.  Now that things have quieted down slightly, I just thought I should take a moment and say that."

"Uh huh.  And?"

     "Are we comfortable with that?"

"Why wouldn't we be comfortable with it?"

     "I mean, I'm fine with our sentience-embracing employment practices, I think it's a great image, myself -"

"Okay, good, because for a second there I thought you were about to go all speciesist on me.  If our best employee for the job is a Sparashki, a Sparashki gets the job."

     "Look, I'm just trying to establish common knowledge about whether we are all, in fact, fine with this."

"I literally can't think of a single valid reason why we shouldn't be."

    "Combine it with the secrecy requirement, and Merrin's apparently superhuman endurance, and there could be people in those secret markets wondering if Sparashki are real and the whole standard-alien business is a smokescreen to hide any who go out in public."

"Almost certainly not.  But if anybody is actually wondering that, what part of that would not be unutterably awesome?"

     "Fair point.  It's just -"

"Just what?"

     "Why is Merrin an aquatic-stage Sparashki today?"

"I'm sure if we were cleared to know that, Exception Handling would have told us already."