's on the child of Mr. and Mrs. George Temple?"

"That's right."

Julia concentrated as hard as she could.

"You have it in your hand?"

"Yes."

"Would you look at it closely?"

"... what?"

"Look at it closely, please."

"Young lady--"

"_Please_, sir."

"All right. I am. Now what information did you want? It reads--What the
hell! Where did that go? Say, how did you--"

Julia hung up. She looked at the birth certificate lying by the
telephone. She picked it up. It was none the worse for teleportation.

She put it on the dresser and returned to the phone.

By the time Tuesday was well into the afternoon, when the cool rays of
the winter sun lay slanting upon the murmuring crest outside, she had
nine birth certificates on the dresser. Nine times the bell boy had come
to her room to collect for the telephone charges. The last time, she
forgot to make Walt invisible. The bell boy said nothing.

* * * * *

Julia was annoyed by her carelessness. The bell boy's foot-falls died in
the carpet of the corridor. She went to the door and looked out. He was
gone.

She closed the door and crossed to the bed. She had exhausted her list
of names. She set about rousing Walt.

He's handsome, she thought.

His eyelids flickered.

He opened his eyes. Memory slowly darkened his irises. He glared up at
her.

He surged at his bonds, striving to rip free and throw himself upon her.
He tugged at his right hand. His fingers writhed. A frown passed over
his face. He jerked his right hand savagely.

"You have been deprived of your power," Julia said.

Stunned, he lay back. "I, I don't understand."

"You thought you were a Lyrian," Julia said. "You were wrong. You're an
earthman. I am an earthwoman."

"That's a lie! I'm not an earthman!"

"You are now. How are you different?"

"That's a lie. I'm, I'm...." He fought against the tentacle-like strips
of sheet.

"Is it a lie, Walt?"

He continued to struggle.

Smiling, she taunted him: "When I was a little girl, I used to get mad
and throw rocks.... It never did any good. Lie still."

I shouldn't tease him, she thought contritely.

She felt very sorry for him. How frustrated he must feel! How hurt and
puzzled and helpless and betrayed!

He's like Samson shorn.

"I know how you feel," she said softly. "I felt that way when you were
chasing me. You're going to listen to me. After I'm through talking to
you, maybe I'll let you u