shoulder. I looked blearily at his spaniel eyes, which were puzzled.

"Didn't you believe me?" he asked.

I made a noise in my throat, and suddenly wanted desperately to be back in my apartment. Anywhere. But I knew that if I stood up my legs would fold. So I just stared at the girl while my heart flopped like a beached fish.

She smiled at me, then turned to Willy.

"Who's your friend?" she asked in a voice proportionate to her size, which was about a foot.

Willy looked at his hands. "Just a friend." Turning to me he said imploringly, "You did believe me, didn't you, Jim?"

I felt like asking him what the hell difference it made whether or not I'd believed him, but I merely swallowed and cleared my throat. I worked my jaws. I took the cigarette from my mouth and looking at it, then at my hand, moving it back and forth to adjust the focus. I didn't want to do any thinking about it because I knew I'd be scared senseless by the conclusions. So I made my mind a throbbing blank and to the cigarette said the first thing that popped into my head.

"She's pretty."

The girl smiled coyly and seated herself on the blank layout pad.

"Of course I'm pretty," she said. "I'm Willy's ideal. He wouldn't have drawn me if I weren't." She blinked her eyes demurely.

Willy just sat there looking woebegone, so I went along with it.

"What's your name?"

"Red."

It fitted. The first basic had gone into her hair. I felt myself beginning to twitch. The reaction was setting in again. I found myself wishing that Willy would do something, and not just sit there with his jaw drooping to the floor. I wondered if he could erase her with his dough rubber. I clung to that thought because it seemed funny. I started to laugh. The girl pouted. Willy looked up at me and frowned.

"What's so funny," Red asked.

I took a deep breath and gritted my teeth, but the shakes were coming and this time they wouldn't be deferred. I wheeled from the chair and charged for the door. Willy was up and grabbing at my arm.

"Don't go, Jim! Please! I've only started to—"

I swung around at him and threw his hand off, panic making my actions loose. Then I saw his spaniel eyes, sad, pleading. I glowered at him and ran my hand through my hair. Looking back at the pint-sized beauty I socked my fist into my hand and stalked back to the drawing desk. I reached out for her. She squeaked and cowered away.

Willy let out a holler that just about scared the pants off both of us, and was tugging at my arm again.

"I just want to touch her," I roared. "I won't kill her."

"You touch her like that and you will kill her," Willy cried. "Sit down, will you? Listen to me—"

"If I can feel her with my hands," I said, still whoozy but cooling down, "I'll believe she's there. Otherwise I go home and sleep it off." I rubbed my forehead. "This kind of stuff isn't for me, kid. You keep your bloody mirages—"

"Please, Jim."

I scowled and dropped into the chair. Willy fumbled for his cigarettes and offered one to me and then in his nervousness proffered one to the redhead, who had held her palms pressed to her ears while we shouted at each other. Red shook her head, smiling. Willy chuckled his embarrassment and sat down in the other chair. We were both facing the desk but I couldn't bring myself to look at the girl.

Suddenly she leapt from the desk and was standing in my lap. While I groaned and held my breath she stretched her arm out.

"You may touch me, if it will make you feel better."

I glanced at Willy, who nodded, and touched the point of my finger to her palm. She was there all right. I drew my hand away quickly, and she laughed. It sounded precisely like the voice of a full-length girl coming from another room. I studied her with my