Sector Twelve General Hospital had a staff of thousands divided among sixty or so intelligent species. Every day it treated alien illnesses of baffling complexity. Of all the hospital's very capable staff, Senior Physician Conway, the human doctor in charge of the Ambulance Ship Rhabwar, was thought by many to be the most promising. So when he was replaced - without notice - by the birdlike alien Prilicla, Dr. Conway was surprised, to say the least. But that was nothing compared to his shock when he was offered a promotion to a challenging new position. It was his for the taking. If he had the nerve . . .