Kibbetz has just been to check on the newest arrival. She has no idea why Sectuib thought this would be a good idea. But then she is not always privy to the goings on in the hallowed inner sanctum. Well, not lately anyway.
Kibbetz would like to have a little talk with that boy. But then Hiram never was good at listening once his mind was made up. She does, however, intend to talk to the one member of the House who should have been sitting on Hiram at the time.
Lusinka has a much less idealized view of the inner sanctum: as Hiram's First Companion, she's quite willing to call Hiram on it when he does something inadvisable. She just hopes that the new arrival doesn't cause as much ruckus as the Geggs have.
Kibbetz sticks her head into Lusinka's office.
Kibbetz: Knock, knock.
Lusinka: Who's there?
Lusinka recites the second line of dozens of venerable schoolyard jokes.
Kibbetz: Boo
Lusinka: Boo who?
Kibbetz: Aw, don't cry, it's just me.
Lusinka chuckles, and reaches for a clean cup.
Kibbetz has been playing with the tweens. Seems that they have all gotten enamored of "knock knock" jokes.
Lusinka: Come in, and have some tea.
Kibbetz: Thanks, don't mind if I do.
Kibbetz pours herself a mug.
Kibbetz: Can I top you off?
Lusinka: Please. How is our latest arrival settling in?
Lusinka holds out her cup.
Kibbetz tops off the proffered mug and has a seat.
Kibbetz: Well, I've gotten our latest patient for the great and venerable D'zoll all settled in. Cute kid. But looks can be deceiving.
Lusinka: Oh? Do you anticipate trouble, of more than the usual kind?
Kibbetz: I assume that you and Hiram know that she's a pretty high First. With a nager like that breakthroughs for her are going to break just about every Sime in zlinning distance and around here that's pretty much anywhere within miles.
Lusinka: How likely do you think that will be?
Kibbetz: I don't know. But I have a shaky feeling about this one, Lusinka. If she does have some buried damage we could be putting channels back together for weeks.
Kibbetz doesn't even want to think about the damage among the renSimes.
Lusinka: If it was an easy job, anybody could have done it. And if Delia is right, and the problem is bigotry and not her stability at all, we shouldn't have too much disruption.
Kibbetz: I know the family business and the House's reputation for seemingly unobtainable cures, but this one has me worried. I was looking at her file.
Lusinka: She could certainly do a lot of damage. So could Mr. Gegg, or Nick Reckage for that matter. Come to think of it, I could still disrupt the whole House myself, if I cared to do so. Well, on a day my bones choose not to ache.
Kibbetz smiles and shakes her head.
Lusinka: So you see, the question is not whether this Delia could disrupt the House. It's about whether she will choose to do so.
Kibbetz: Lusinka, you know that mind healing has nothing to do with what the patient wants to do. It's about getting down to the core of the trauma and opening up mental and emotional wounds so they can drain and heal.
Lusinka: Yes. And there is trauma there, I'm sure, after what happened. But I have my doubts as to whether we've invited in a Giant Killer Gen from the Lost Lagoon, and so does Hiram.
Kibbetz: Hardly. I'm just saying I worry about the involuntary, which is what mind healing deals with. Before he can help her he's going to have to break her down and that could get dangerous and messy.
Lusinka: Before he does any breaking down, he's going to have to determine whether she's healed adequately from her trauma on her own. She maintains that she is perfectly capable to work as a Donor, and she hasn't exactly been leaving a trail of corpses behind her.
Kibbetz: Thank goodness for that. But then none of those channels were picking at psychic scabs.
Lusinka is glad that D'zoll has shown himself able to distinguish between scabs with pus underneath and long-healed scars.
Kibbetz: I know, I know, I worry too much.
Lusinka: Well, someone must, and if I did, how'd I get any work done?
Kibbetz grins.
Kibbetz: One does what one can for one's House.
Lusinka: What more can any Sectuib ask for?
Kibbetz sets down her mug and gets up to leave.
Kibbetz: I'm on duty in ten minutes. Take me that long to get over there. Thanks for the tea.
Kibbetz exits as swiftly as age will allow.