people are feelin as soon as they walk into a room。 I e across fifty or sixty
like that。 But maybe only a dozen； countin my gram； that knew they was shinin。〃
〃Wow；〃 Danny said； and thought about it。 Then： 〃Do you know Mrs。 Brant？〃
〃Her？〃 Hallorann asked scornfully。 〃She don't shine。 Just sends her supper
back two…three times every night。〃
〃I know she doesn't；〃 Danny said earnestly。 〃But do you know the man in the
gray uniform that gets the cars？〃
〃Mike？ Sure； I know Mike。 What about him？〃
〃Mr。 Hallorann； why would she want his pants？〃
〃What are you talking about； boy？〃
〃Well； when she was watching him； she was thinking she would sure like to get
into his pants and I just wondered why — 〃
But he got no further。 Hallorann had thrown his head back； and rich； dark
laughter issued from his chest； rolling around in the car like cannonfire。 The
seat shook with the force of it。 Danny smiled； puzzled； and at last the storm
subsided by fits and starts。 Hallorann produced a large silk handkerchief from
his breast pocket like a white flag of surrender and wiped his streaming eyes。
〃Boy；〃 he said； still snorting a little； 〃you are gonna know everything there
is to know about the human condition before you make ten。 I dunno if to envy you
or not。〃
〃But Mrs。 Brant — 〃
〃You never mind her；〃 he said。 〃And don't go askin your mom； either。 You'd
only upset her； dig what I'm sayin？〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 Danny said。 He dug it perfectly well。 He had upset his mother that
way in the past。
〃That Mrs。 Brant is just a dirty old woman with an itch； that's all you have
to know。〃 He looked at Danny speculatively。 〃How hard can you hit； doc？〃
〃Huh？〃
〃Give me a blast。 Think at me。 I want to know if you got as much as I think
you do。〃
〃What do you want me to think？〃
〃Anything。 Just think it hard。〃
〃Okay；〃 Danny said。 He considered it for a moment； then gathered his
concentration and flung it out at Hallorann。 He had never done anything
precisely like this before； and at the last instant some instinctive part of him
rose up and blunted some of the thought's raw force…he didn't want to hurt Mr。
Hallorann。 Still the thought arrowed out of him with a force he never would have
believed。 It went like a Nolan Ryan fastball with a little extra on it。
（Gee I hope I don't hurt him）
And the thought was：
（！！！ HI； DICK！！！）
Hallorann winced and jerked backward on the seat。 His teeth came together
with a hard click； drawing blood from his lower lip in a thin trickle。 His hands
flew up involuntarily from his lap to the level of his chest and then settled
back again。 For a moment his eyelids fluttered limply； with no conscious
control； and Danny was frightened。
〃Mr。 Hallorann？ Dick？ Are you okay？〃
〃I don't know；〃 Hallorann said； and laughed weakly。 〃I honest to God don't。 My
God； boy； you're a pistol。〃
〃I'm sorry；〃 Danny said； more alarmed。 〃Should I get my daddy？ I'll run and
get him。〃
〃No； here I e。 I'm okay； Danny。 You just sit right there。 I feel a little
scrambled； that's all。〃
〃I didn't go as hard as I could；〃 Danny confessed。 〃I was scared to； at the
last minute。〃
〃Probably my good luck you did 。。。 my brains would be leakin out my ears。〃
He saw the alarm on Danny's face and smiled。 〃No harm done。 What did it feel
like to you？〃
〃Like I was Nolan Ryan throwing a fastball；〃 he replied promptly。
〃You like baseball； do you？〃 Hallorann was rubbing his temples gingerly。
〃Daddy and me like the Angels；〃 Danny said。 〃The Red Sox in the American
League East and the Angels in the West。 We saw the Red Sox against Cincinnati in
the World Series。 I was a lot littler then。 And Daddy was 。。。〃 Danny's face
went dark and troubled。
〃Was what； Dan？〃
〃I forget；〃 Danny said。 He started to put his thumb in his mouth to suck it；
but that was a baby trick。 He put his hand back in his lap。
〃Can you tell what your mom and dad are thinking； Danny？〃 Hallorann was
watching him closely。
〃Most times； if I want to。 But usually I don't try。〃
〃Why not？〃
〃Well 。。。〃 he paused a moment； troubled。 〃It would be like peeking into the
bedroom and watching while they're doing the thing that makes babies。 Do you
know that thing？〃
〃I have had acquaintance with it；〃 Hallorann said gravely。
〃They wouldn't like that。 And they wouldn't like me peeking at their thinks。
It would be dirty。〃
〃I see。〃
〃But I know how they're feeling；〃 Danny said。 〃I can't help that。 I know how
you're feeling； too。 I hurt you。 I'm sorry。〃
〃It's just a headache。 I've had hangovers that were worse。 Can you read other
people； Danny？〃
〃I can't read yet at all；〃 Danny said； 〃except a few words。 But Daddy's going
to teach me this winter。 My daddy used to teach reading and writing in a big
school。 Mostly writing； but he knows reading； too。〃
〃I mean； can you tell what anybody is thinking？〃
Danny thought about it。
〃I can if it's loud；〃 he said finally。 〃Like Mrs。 Brant and the pants。 Or like
once； when me and Mommy were in this big store to get me some shoes； there was
this big kid looking at radios； and he was thinking about taking one without
buying it。 Then he'd think； what if I get caught？ Then he'd think； I really want
it。 Then he'd think about getting caught again。 He was making himself sick about
it； and he was making me sick。 Mommy was talking to the man who sells the shoes
so I went over and said； ‘Kid； don't take that radio。 Go away。' And he got
really scared。 He went away fast。〃
Hallorann was grinning broadly。 〃I bet he did。 Can you do anything else；
Danny？ Is it only thoughts and feelings； or is there more？〃
Cautiously： 〃Is there more for you？〃
〃Sometimes；〃 Hallorann said。 〃Not often。 Sometimes 。。。 sometimes there are
dreams。 Do you dream； Danny？〃
〃Sometimes；〃 Danny said； 〃I dream when I'm awake。 After Tony es。〃 His thumb
wanted to go into his mouth again。 He had never told anyone but Mommy and Daddy
about Tony。 He made his thumb…sucking hand go back into his lap。
〃Who's Tony？〃
And suddenly Danny had one of those flashes of understanding that frightened
him most of all； it was like a sudden glimpse of some inprehensible machine
that might be safe or might be deadly dangerous。 He was too young to know which。
He was too young to understand。
〃What's wrong？〃 he cried。 〃You're asking me all this because you're worried；
aren't you？ Why are you worried about me？ Why are you worried about us？〃
Hallorann put his large dark hands on the small boy's shoulders。 〃Stop；〃 he
said。 〃It's probably nothin。 But if it is somethin 。。。 well； you've got a large
thing in your head； Danny。 You'll have to do a lot of growin yet before you
catch up to it； I guess。 You got to be brave about it。〃
〃But I don't understand things！〃 Danny burst out。 〃I do but I don't！ People 。。。 they feel things and I
feel them； but I don't know what I'm feeling！〃 He
looked down at his lap wretchedly。 〃I wish I could read。 Sometimes Tony shows me
signs and I can hardly read any of them。〃
〃Who's