"I'd be happy to tell you anything you need to know to resolve this. Do you have questions for me?"

Can you explain how genetic engineering works? That has been a point of minor confusion. Though it is not the heart of the issue.

"...well, I'm not a genetic engineer," he touches his hair, "but my layperson's understanding is that they can take an embryo and replace some of its genome with other, better genes, to correct simple genetic diseases, and they're working on being able to make more spot edits and being able to do it in later stages of development, maybe even adults."

But as far as its use goes - it's mostly to correct for diseases and defects? Not to give one's children enhancements?

"I don't think there's a consensus definition of the difference between an enhancement and a correction. Some Amentans have, say, unusually good vision and some have unusually bad vision - I don't actually know if there's a genetic therapy available for this, it's just an example - and there's not some fixed amount of vision quality that we're supposed to have by some objective standard, just better and worse, so if better results with fewer side effects become available, that's what people will go with."

They have a brief digression that concludes that of course you want your children to be as perfect as possible, and Draak would do the same if that was the tool they had.

Then they have a longer digression about something confusingly technical with lots of sixth-sensory detail.

And then one asks, When new genetic therapies are developed, does it involve matter from a person transplanted into another person in any way, through any amount of layers and indirection? This distinction could be a technically important difference to a point of theology.

"I'm afraid I don't know, I'm not a genetic engineer. What's the importance?"

Changes applied in mimicry to those caused by magic are not magic. While the faint traces of Essence left behind by inheritable Enkindling in a parent may be passed to a child in ordinary reproduction, that is not magic that the Amentan knows how to do. It just happens. Thus, we are not teaching Amentans magic. However, if you transplant material from one person to another or from one person to an embryo for the treatment, that might bring the Essence traces along and thus be technically doing magic, and we would have technically taught Amentans to do magic.

"Well, I can ask a genetic engineer, or we can see if there's a Tapai one already around."

Does it really matter? Another Draak asks. This information won't change my vote.

We need to resolve the open questions!

Hanging on technicalities is not true wisdom, you're thinking too far into the school of Facts-

Please ignore them. And do find a genetic engineer, if you can, the main speaker tells Ruan.

Ruan goes and finds a Tapai green and brings her over.

The space aliens would like to know how genetic engineering is done. Specifically regarding things that actually go into an embryo or a person, where do they get them, how are they made?

"We did use to physically remove chromosomes from other organisms and splice them in, but these days we can just type genetic sequences into a machine and it prints them out. We still know how to do the first, but if it's objectionable we don't have to, I don't think that loses us much capability unless magic genetic sequences just don't work for some reason that way."

The genetic sequences themselves are not magic, they're pretty sure. Just like magically healed flesh is not magic, it was just made to be that way with magic.

They argue some more. They vote.

The voting concludes that if they only use sequencing machines it's fine to study people heritably-Enkindled to have mild springs and develop treatments based on that. Two of the traditionalists stalk away in a huff.

Bloom's tail is acting cheerful again now! There are still some details to be resolved but I think that solves it! I am glad those two did not become Senators. They're kind of obstructionist. The reactionaries and those too afraid of change to stick their heads out of their caves were the ones who were the problem, and they have been sufficiently appeased.

"I'll make sure everyone working on it knows not to physically splice," Ruan assures her.

It's a pointless distinction in my opinion, but some care about these things a lot and it would be a problem if it was discovered you were physically splicing after all.

"I think as long as the sequences aren't magic and don't need to be spliced to work there'll be no problem at all," the genetic engineer assures her.

Okay. Good. I am still worried... I will continue the work regardless, but expanding it is difficult without students. I need to have authority if any others are to learn from me to do the same thing, or they will cause problems.

"No one's willing to join you?"

Some would happily listen to me and then go off in another direction, but perhaps only one of those present will be willing to actually submit, to place themselves under my judgement. These are all old experts and I am very radical, after all.

"Are there others back on your world who might be willing if asked?"

Maybe, depending on how my reputation there goes? Younger Draak are probably more tractable in this. They would take longer to learn it but would be more reliable if trained up correctly from the start.

"Would you need to make a trip, or can you send a message?"

Oh, I have to go home anyway and get my pets. Leaving them to their own devices for a season is one thing but I am probably going to be on Amenta for years now. I'll split my territory back home between my kids and buy some desert. I have enough money to pay for that now since you started charging people, right? Or I will sooner or later?

"Yes."