one. It might be the right one."

* * * * *

"I--" Buck shook his head--"Well, it's like I _think_ the gun into my
hand. It happened the first time this morning. I was standing out in
the Pass where I always practise drawing, and I was wishing I could
draw faster'n anybody who ever lived--I was wishing I could just get
my gun outa leather in no time atall. And--" the gun was back in his
holster in the blink of an eye--"that's how it happened. My gun was in
my hand. Just like that. I didn't even reach for it--I was just
getting set to draw, and had my hand out in front of me ... and my gun
was in my hand before I knew what'd happened. God, I was so surprised
I almost fell over!"

"I see," said the professor slowly. "You _think_ it into your hand?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"Would you do it now, please?" And the professor leaned forward so he
could see Buck's holster, eyes intent.

Buck's gun appeared in his hand.

The professor let out a long breath. "Now think it back into its
holster."

It was there.

"You did not move your arm either time," said the professor.

"That's right," said Buck.

"The gun was just suddenly in your hand instead of in your holster.
And then it was back in the holster."

"Right."

"Telekinesis," said the professor, almost reverently.

"Telewhat?"

"Telekinesis--the moving of material objects by mental force." The
professor leaned back and studied the holstered gun. "It _must_ be
that. I hardly dared think if at first--the first time you did it. But
the thought did occur to me. And now I'm virtually certain!"

"How do you say it?"

"T-e-l-e-k-i-n-e-s-i-s."

"Well, how do I _do_ it?"

"I can't answer that. Nobody knows. It's been the subject of many
experiments, and there are many reported happenings--but I've never
heard of any instance even remotely as impressive as this." The
professor leaned across the table again. "Can you do it with other
things, young man?"

"What other things?"

"That bottle on the bar, for example."

"Never tried."

"Try."

Buck stared at the bottle.

It wavered. Just a little. Rocked, and settled back.

Buck stared harder, eyes bulging.

The bottle shivered. That was all.

"Hell," Buck said. "I can't seem to--to get ahold of it with my mind,
like I can with my gun."

"Try moving this glass on the table," the professor said, "It's
smaller, and closer."

* * * * *

Buck st