that had come across him when Fuzzy had been
almost killed. He had often wondered just what Fuzzy might be like if
his almost-fluid, infinitely adaptable physical body had only been
endowed with intelligence. He had wondered what kind of a creature Fuzzy
might be if he were able to use his remarkable structure with the
guidance of an intelligent mind behind it....

He felt another movement on his arm, and his eyes widened as he stared
down at his little friend.

A moment before, there had been a single three-inch pink creature on his
elbow. But now there were two, each just one-half the size of the
original. As Dal watched, one of the two drew away from the other,
creeping in to snuggle closer to Dal's side, and a pair of shoe-button
eyes appeared and blinked up at him trustingly. But the other creature
was moving down his arm, straining out toward the Bruckian spokesman....

Dal realized instantly what was happening. He started to draw back, but
something stopped him. Deep in his mind he could sense a gentle voice
reassuring him, saying, _It's all right, there is nothing to fear, no
harm will come to me. These creatures need help, and this is the way to
help them._

He saw the Bruckian reach out a trembling hand. The tiny pink creature
that had separated from Fuzzy seemed almost to leap across to the
outstretched hand. And then the spokesman held him close, and the new
Fuzzy shivered happily.

The virus-creatures had found a host. Here was the ideal kind of body
for their intelligence to work with and mold, a host where
antibody-formation could be perfectly controlled. Dal knew now that the
problem had almost been solved once before, when the virus-creature had
reached Fuzzy on the ship; if they had only waited a little longer they
would have seen Fuzzy recover from his illness a different creature
entirely than before.

Already the new creature was dividing again, with half going on to the
next of the Bruckians. To a submicroscopic virus, the body of the host
would not have to be large; soon there would be a sufficient number of
hosts to serve the virus-creatures' needs forever. As he started back up
the ladder to the ship, Dal knew that the problem on 31 Brucker VII had
found a happy and permanent solution.

* * * * *

Back in the control room Dal related what had happened from beginning to
end. There was only one detail that he concealed. He could not bring
himself to tell Ti