<How terrible is 'not very pleasant'?> Alloran asks, largely rhetorically. He doesn't trust the spirit's judgement and, having a low opinion of human medicine, assumes it involves cutting into the body in question.

Alloran closes his own hands together at the answer. He's been trying not to think too much about kissing Breq. She'd certainly seemed to enjoy it more than he'd expect given how clumsy and insensitive he finds human hands. It's made sense that tailless humans touch each other rather freely with their hands and humans that don't are a strange thought.

<Nudity taboos are difficult subjects. This element seems impractical. Perhaps that is the point.>