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something.”
    McCoy reached for his medical kit in the dark, but Spock’s voice stopped him. “Unnecessary, Doctor. I can induce sleep if necessary—I won’t require one of your potions.”
    The Medical Officer’s voice was peevish. “Well induce it then, and let us all get some rest.” He [47] reached up and turned on the light, surveyed the First Officer critically. “Look at you—Vulcans don’t need sleep, my ass. You’re ready to drop.” His expression changed to one of concern. “You’re not helping that kid out there by staying awake worrying about him.”
    Nobody had referred to the object of their search since they’d left the Enterprise, and Spock obviously found the Doctor’s bluntness painful. “It is easy for you to reach that conclusion, Doctor, since the reason for this mission is not your responsibility, it is mine. While recrimination is not logical, it is—”
    “Unnecessary.” Kirk cut in. “Your situation is hardly unique, Mr. Spock. After all, the same kind of thing has been happening to men and women ever since we began visiting other planets. Even I have—” The Captain broke off as his two officers exchanged a sidelong glance. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded.
    “Nothing, Jim,” McCoy said, with studied innocence. “Nothing at all. I think we should get some more rest.”
     
    It was the following afternoon when McCoy found the hot spring. He let out a yelp over his communicator that brought the others running. They found the Doctor sitting on his heels, looking at a depression in the rocks. Steam rose out of it, and the rock itself was encrusted with mineral deposits in bright reds, blues, greens and yellows. Spock scanned the area again, but reported no life-forms within range. They set out to follow the path of the underground river, as it wound along the base of the cliffs.
    The excitement of locating the hot spring held them until sunset, when they made camp, but was gradually replaced by depression. Each of them knew that if they didn’t locate any concrete signs of life within the next two days, they would be forced to go back and try the Guardian again. After their meal, Kirk and McCoy played double solitaire for a while, but [48] the game soon languished. Finally they all just sat, listening to the wind.
    McCoy shivered. “Did you hook up the distort tonight, Spock?”
    “Yes, Doctor. I have done so every night. Why?”
    “Nothing—I have this feeling something’s watching us. This place gets on your nerves.” The Doctor abruptly cut, then shuffled the deck of cards with a snap that made them all jump.
    Kirk nodded. “I know what you mean, Bones. I’ve been feeling the same way. Too much imagination—that wind’s enough to shake anybody. You’re lucky Vulcans are immune to it, Spock.”
    The First Officer looked thoughtful. “Perhaps it is a result of fatigue, Captain, because the same impression has been in my mind—that something is watching us. It started several hours ago. ...”
    Startled, Kirk and McCoy nodded corroboration. Spock raised an eyebrow. “Since all of us share the same impression, starting at about the same time, it is possible that we are under observation. A predator may be stalking us.”
    “You’re probably right, Spock,” the Captain said. “We’ve been lucky we haven’t encountered any animal life before now. Tomorrow we’ll stay together. Make sure your phasers are fully charged.”
     
    The next morning dawned as bright and clear as the three previous ones. “We’ve been lucky with the weather, anyway,” Kirk commented, as they picked their way along the rocky streambed, an icy counterpart to the boiling river that flowed beneath the cliff.
    “We’ve been lucky with just about everything except finding the object of our search, Jim.” McCoy raised a sardonic eyebrow. “I’ll trade the good weather and the lack of predators for one sight of ...” Spock had stopped so suddenly that the Doctor