ur alarm web. The
tapes show that. Now all the bodies are missing, like they got up and
walked away."

It was not a new experience to Ekstrohm. No. Suspicion wasn't new to him
at all.

"Ryan, there are other explanations for the disappearance of the bodies.
Look for them, will you? I give you my word I'm not trying to pull some
stupid kind of joke, or to deliberately foul up the expedition. Take my
word, can't you?"

Ryan shook his head. "I don't think I can. There's still such a thing as
mental illness. You may not be responsible."

Ekstrohm scowled.

"Don't try anything violent, Stormy. I outweigh you fifty pounds and I'm
fast for a big man."

"I wasn't planning on jumping you. Why do you have to jump me the first
time something goes wrong? You've only got a lot of formless
suspicions."

"Look, Ekstrohm, do you think I looked out the door and saw a lot of
dead animals missing and immediately decided you did it to bedevil me?
I've been up for hours--thinking--looking into this. You're the only
possibility that's left."

"Why?"

* * * * *

"The bodies are missing. What could it be? Scavengers? The web gives us
a complete census on everything inside it. The only animals inside the
ring are more wart-hogs and, despite their appearance, they aren't
carnivorous. Strictly grass-eaters. Besides, no animal, no insect, no
process of decay could _completely_ consume animals without a trace.
There are no bones, no hide, no nothing."

"You don't know the way bacteria works on this planet. Radiation is so
low, it may be particularly virulent."

"That's a possible explanation, although it runs counter to all the
evidence we've established so far. There's a much simpler explanation,
Ekstrohm. You. You hid the bodies for some reason. What other reason
could you have for prowling around out here at night?"

_I couldn't sleep._ The words were in his throat, but he didn't use
them. They weren't an explanation. They would open more questions than
they would answer.

"You're closing your eyes to the possibility of natural phenomenon,
laying this on me. You haven't adequate proof and you know it."

"Ekstrohm, when something's stolen, you always suspect a suspicious
character before you get around to the possibility that the stolen goods
melted into thin air."

"What," Ekstrohm said with deadly patience, "what do you think I could
have possibly done with your precious dead bodies?"

"Yo