"Maybe you'd feel better if you spoke to Dr. Lowell about it."
"What could he do? This is really an internal problem that I should work
out with Dr. Hoyt. I can't involve Dr. Lowell in it."
But it became intolerable when there was a young girl who wanted to be a
boy and Dr. Kalmar and Dr. Hoyt got into the worst battle yet.
Naturally, she had to be given an Ego Alter to make her happy about
being a girl, whereas Dr. Hoyt argued that she should be allowed to be a
boy if that was what she wanted. Dr. Kalmar explained angrily once more
that the sexes were exactly balanced and Dr. Hoyt quoted the rule of
personal choice. It was applicable on Earth, but not on Deneb, Dr.
Kalmar retorted, to which Dr. Hoyt snorted something about playing God.
Dr. Kalmar confessed harshly to his wife that she was right. He had to
bring old Dr. Lowell into the situation; it was out of Dr. Kalmar's
control and was keeping the hospital in a turmoil. It was time for Dr.
Lowell to inspect the hospital, the job he had taken in place of actual
retirement. Dr. Kalmar needed help from Miss Dupont to bring the problem
out into the open. But she became unexpectedly obstinate.
"I won't hurt Leo's career," she explained flatly.