“Probably not,” Kender said. “But I’m reasonably sure that with only 100 mgs. she would have rejected the transplant. Dr. Silverstone has been conducting the animal studies, and he can tell you that it’s not simply a matter of X units of body weight calling for Y units of drug. Other factors enter into the problem—the patient’s stamina, the strength of her heart, her inherent resistance to disease, no doubt other things of which we’re not yet even aware.”

“Where do you go from here, Doctor?” Sack asked.

Kender shrugged. “There’s a substance produced by injecting horses with ground-up lymph nodes from human cadavers. It’s called Anti-Lymphocyte Serum, ALS. for short. There have been preliminary reports that it’s very helpful in cases like this one. I think we’ll start animal studies with it right away.”

“Dr. Kender.” It was Miriam Parkhurst. “When do you plan to give a kidney to Harland Longwood?”

“We’re looking for a cadaver donor,” Kender said. “His blood-type is B-negative. Donors are scarce enough, but with the added complication of a rare blood type . . .” He shook his head.

“It’s a terrible obstacle,” Joel Sack said. “Fewer than two out of every hundred donors coming to our blood bank are B-negatives.”

“Have you notified the other hospitals that we’re looking for a B-negative cadaver donor?” Miriam asked.

Kender nodded. “There’s something else you people should know,” he said. “We’re able to sustain Dr. Longwood’s physical condition on the dialysis machine. But he’s emotionally unsuited to the treatment. For psychiatric reasons, he can’t be maintained on dialysis much longer.”

“That’s my point,” Miriam Parkhurst said. “We have to do something. Some of us have known this man—this great surgeon—as a friend and a teacher for years.”

“Dr. Parkhurst,” Kender said gently. “We’re doing what is possible. None of us can do what is impossible.” Obviously determined to restore professionalism to the meeting, he turned toward Joel Sack. “Has the Bergstrom post-mortem been completed yet?”

Dr. Sack shook his head. “I’ve received no permission for autopsy.”

“I spoke to Mr. Bergstrom,” Adam Silverstone said. “He refuses to consider post-mortem.”

Kender frowned. “Do you think his decision is final?”

“Yes, sir,” Silverstone said.

“I’d like to try to change his mind,” Meomartino said suddenly.

They stared at him.

“That is, if Dr. Silverstone has no objections.”

“Certainly not. I don’t believe he’s likely to sign that paper, but if you want to try . . .”

“It can’t hurt to try again,” Kender said, glancing approvingly at Meomartino. He looked at the assembled surgeons. “Unless we have the results of a post, it’s senseless to vote on this case. But it seems obvious that at our present level of knowledge concerning the rejection phenomenon, this death was unavoidable.” He paused for possible objections and then, sensing general agreement, nodded to indicate that the meeting was over.