"How can you do that?"
"It's simple," Mike said irritably. "The Indigos must have a malformation of the heart causing an abnormal communication between the venous and arterial side of the circulation system. A little surgery and I adjust a valve in the heart. No more communication. Proper aeration. Enough oxygen. The deep blue color goes, leaving only the lighter blue of the natural pigmentation. The patient feels better, acts better, thinks better, looks better. In short, he is no longer an Indigo but an Azure."
"Is—is this what you're going to show Lee?" I ventured.
"Of course! It proves the Indigos aren't an inferior race. They are the same as the Azures except that they are sick. Their being sick can't reflect unfavourably on any terrestrial colored race. There is no analogy. But I have to prove it to Chon. We're going to tape the whole process and feed it to him."
"I think," I said, "that that might get to him."
"Sure it will." Ellik's jaw muscles flexed. "I should ruin Lee with this thing, but I won't. I'm not a vindictive man. Lee and I will probably be working together for years. But whenever he gets out of line—has some stubborn idea about doing something his way—don't think I won't remind him of this!"
Suddenly, he was smiling again. He turned to the gawking Indigo. He pointed two fingers at him.
"Mmr?" Ellik asked.
The alien tapped himself on his chest cavity twice. "Mhaw," he gave his name.
"Mhaw M'i uh M'i m M'm'-uh?" Ellik asked him, without even using the translators.