e to keep an eye on her," the clerk said, clucking his
tongue in dry disapproval.

* * * * *

Now how did I do that? Julia asked herself. She walked to the door and
put her hand through it. She wiggled her fingers. She half-opened the
door and put her hand through it again. It came out on the other side.
She moved her arm back and forth. It felt prickly.

She crossed to the bed and sat down. This isn't so good, she thought.
I've got to figure out how I did that.

She closed her eyes tightly. Other people can't put their hands through
doors, she thought. Other people can't heal cuts by looking at them,
either.... I never could before; I don't feel any different from other
people.

And then a little chill of fear ran up and down her spine. Suppose the
bed, the floor, the earth below were suddenly to become as unsubstantial
as the door. I might drop clear through to China, to, to....

Her fingernails were making red creases in her palms.

She stood up and stamped on the floor. Her knees trembled. The floor was
solid.

She went to the door. It is solid, she thought. She let her fingers
explore the surface. She sighed, feeling the rough texture of the wood.

Now, she thought. I can reach through it.

Her hand passed through it easily.

She went back to the bed and sat down.

I did it with my mind, she thought. I wanted to put my hand through the
door, and I did. In front of the bell hop, I suddenly felt so sure that
I could walk through the door that ... I did.

I'm going to figure out how I did that, she thought, her mouth
tightening into a thin little line of resolution. Because if _I_ learned
to do it, anyone else could learn....

_Hello._

Her hands clenched into annoyed little fists. She went to the window
and looked out. She opened the door and looked up and down the corridor.
No William.

_Hello._

"He ... hello."

_Good, you can hear me. What planet are you on?_

"The same planet everyone else is."

_... the third one from the sun?_

She tried to remember her high school science survey course; and she
found that she could remember it very clearly. _Of course, it is._

_That's funny._

* * * * *

She realized that she had thought her last statement, and that he (she
was sure that the voice belonged to a he) had answered it nevertheless.
She was exchanging thoughts with someone!

_Hello_, she thought weakly. She gulped. _Wha