Smoke trailing from the center of the plateau caused brief excitement among the watchers. Their hopes fell when it was seen to emanate from a small lake of boiling lava. The molten rock seethed and bubbled, an indication of the fiery core that lay beneath. The _Assault_ landed and search parties were immediately organized. There were only enough men left behind to adequately man the ship's defenses. Boyette was assigned to the main party after convincing the reluctant Commander that he might be needed. All of the ships were empty. There was no sign of disorder or confusion. Tools and equipment had been left lying when their owners had quietly left. Not one clue could be found to account for the disappearance of their crews. A feeling of awe began to temper the initial exuberance of the crewmen. The main party was almost ready to return to its ship when a movement at the edge of the plateau caught the attention of the men. They froze in their tracks, weapons ready, then a small animal crawled into sight. It stood only about a foot high and to Boyette resembled a small Teddy Bear. Relieved the men relaxed and one laughed. At this the creature stood up even higher and barked softly, bringing others into sight. Squad leaders half-heartedly endeavored to keep their men together but the temptation was too great to resist. Each man wheedled and coaxed until the Teddy Bears had allowed themselves to be brought within reach. Boyette alone stood aloof and one of the animals made its way towards him. It even avoided attempts by the crew-members to catch it. In fact, Boyette noted, nowhere did he see more than one of the Bears to any one man. He frowned thoughtfully, remembering that there was no sign of any other form of life. The animal stopped in front of him and waited expectantly. A desire to pet it crept over Boyette, one so strong that his hands tingled. He almost gave in to the impulse when a dark suspicion made him draw back. Why hadn't he felt the same emotion before the Bear had reached him? One of the men noted his backward motion and yelled, "What's the matter, Doc, afraid that it'll bite you?" Boyette only smiled by way of reply. The brief moment of introspection had served to strengthen his willpower. He determined from now on to look before leaping. Nothing was above suspicion until the mystery of the deserted space-ships had been solved. Loud laughter caught his attention and brought a brief smile to his normally serious face. One of the men had been smoking and dropped some tobacco on an animal. It dug at its hide frantically in an effort to dislodge the particles. Once freed of the irritant it promptly made its way back to the same crew-member. Boyette pondered the act. All of the Bears seemed to have a purpose in mind and the intelligence to direct it. There wasn't any biological reason a thinking and intelligent creature should have a human form. Perhaps ... at least it was worth considering, Boyette mused.