mother."

Bennett sat frowning. "All right, let's say that's so. But where do
the hallucinations of the city of Thone fit in?"

"This is something that has to be tracked down in a series of
analytical sessions, so all I can do is guess. If one is unable to
reach a goal in a real environment, the obvious answer is to create a
fantasy world. That's what you appear to be doing. It's a dangerous
situation, Mr. Bennett. Potentially, at least."

"How so?" Bennett asked, alarmed.

"The general tendency is toward greater and greater divorcement from
reality. I suggest immediate treatment by a competent analyst. If you
don't know of one, I can recommend several."

"I'd like to think it over."

"Do that," Hall said. "And call me when you've decided."

* * * * *

The third day after he consulted the neurologist, Bennett's headache
returned. As before, drugs were of no help. When the pain became
blinding, he lay back on his bed, placed a cold cloth on his forehead,
and closed his eyes.

Suddenly the realities he knew were gone and he was back in the
dream-city of Thone.

Persons and objects were much clearer now. Bennett saw that he lay in
a receptacle shaped like a rectangular metal box. It was padded,
reminding him unpleasantly of a coffin. The woman he had seen before
was again with him, but now he knew that her name was Lima. Behind her
stood a man; a tall, dark man whose eyebrows joined over the bridge of
his nose, and whose forehead was creased in a permanent frown. The
woman held out her arms to Bennett. Her lips moved, but no sound came
from them.

Bennett's spirit seemed to rise from the flesh--he could see his body
still lying there--and he followed the woman. As he approached she
retreated and, try as he would to reach her, she remained just beyond
his grasp.

After what seemed hours of futile pursuit, a cloud formed between him
and the woman. When it dissipated, he had left the world of Thone. He
was in a trolley-bus, in his own world, and vaguely he recalled having
left his room, gone down to the street, and boarded the
trolley--during the time he had followed Lima, in his hallucination.
It seemed that he had a definite destination then, but now he could
not recall what it had been.

His attention was drawn to the outside by the flickering of lights
that flashed in through the bus windows. Bennett looked out and saw
that he was in the Pleasure Section of the city, trav