        Dale had gotten over his initial shock, and began to speculate on their origin.  It was possible they were some kind of genetically altered pet, although who would have such a thing was beyond him, and why they would be here of all places was even more confusing.  The fact that most of them were carrying weapons also bothered him—while it was true that some people dressed their pets, he’d never heard of giving them spears to hold, and he couldn’t imagine animals that would behave this way.