"An interesting location for a fsss organ," the Prime commented. "Was this removal determined by medical instruments or direct Elder observation?"

"Both," Thrr-gilag said. "I ordered the Elder observation after our discussion about the fsss with the Human."

"A discussion which I stated at the time should not have occurred," Svv-selic put in. "It provided information—"

"The searcher will be silent," the Prime said. "Allow me to point out, Searcher Thrr-gilag, that five other Human bodies were briefly examined after the space battle. None showed any sign of such scars."

"Yes, I know," Thrr-gilag said. "And if the Humans do indeed have Elders, that might indicate that they're socially still in an extremely primitive state."

"Impossible," Cvv-panav snorted. "They have a highly advanced technology."

"Technology level and social structure are not necessarily related," Thrr-gilag said. "The Human Pheylan Cavanagh was apparently equivalent in rank to a Zhirrzh ship commander. If he, and he alone of all his warriors, had had his fsss removed, it might indicate that the Humans are at a stage comparable to Zhirrzh society before the First Eldership War."

For a few beats the chamber was silent. "Considering the barbarism of that era, that would be unpleasant news indeed," the Prime said at last. "Yet it would be consistent with the savagery of their attack on our survey ships. Can we assume we're dealing with a clan-structured feudal system, then?"

"Possibly," Thrr-gilag said. "But we mustn't forget that they're aliens. We can't simply project our own history onto them."

"And we similarly mustn't forget that wisps of imagination don't condense into hard ceramic," Cvv-panav said contemptuously. "To spin such a theory from a single Human scar walks the line between fever dream and stupidity."