"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?" "You could have buried them. This is a big territory. We haven't been able to search every square foot of it." "Ryan, it was thirty or forty below zero last night. How the devil could I dig holes in this ground to bury anything?" "At forty below, how could your bacteria function to rot them away?" Ekstrohm could see he was facing prejudice. There was no need to keep talking, and no use in it. Still, some reflex made him continue to frame reasonable answers. "I don't know what bacteria on _this_ planet can do. Besides, that was only _one_ example of a natural phenomenon." "Look, Ekstrohm, you don't have anything to worry about if you're not responsible. We're going to give you a fair test."