It'sSuchaBeautifulDay

OnApril12,2117,thefieldmodulatorbrakevalveintheDoorbelongingtoMrs.RichardHanshawdepolarizedforreasonsunknown.Asaresult,Mrs.Hanshaw's
daywascompletelyupsetandherson,Richard,Jr.,firstdevelopedhisstrangeneurosis.
ItwasnotthetypeofthingyouwouldfindlistedasaneurosisintheusualtextbooksandcertainlyyoungRichardbehaved,inmostrespects,justasawell
broughtuptwelveyearoldinprosperouscircumstancesoughttobehave.
AndyetfromApril12on,RichardHanshaw,Jr.,couldonlywithregreteverpersuadehimselftogothroughaDoor.
Ofallthis,onApril12,Mrs.Hanshawhadnopremonition.Shewokeinthemorning(anordinarymorning)ashermekkanoslitheredgentlyintoherroom,with
acupofcoffeeonasmalltray.
Mrs.HanshawwasplanningavisittoNewYorkintheafternoonandshehadseveralthingstodofirstthatcouldnotquitebetrustedtoamekkano,soafterone
ortwosips,shesteppedoutofbed.
Themekkanobackedaway,movingsilentlyalongthediamagneticfieldthatkeptitsoblongbodyhalfaninchabovethefloor,andmovedbacktothekitchen,
where its simple computer was quite adequate to set the proper controls on the various kitchen appliances in order that an appropriate breakfast might be
prepared.
Mrs.Hanshaw,havingbestowedtheusualsentimentalglanceuponthecubographofherdeadhusband,passedthroughthestagesofhermorningritualwitha
certain contentment. She could hear her son across the hall clattering through his, but she knew she need not interfere with him. The mekkano was well
adjustedtoseetoit,asamatterofcourse,thathewasshowered,thathehadonachangeofclothing,andthathewouldeatanourishingbreakfast.The
tergoshowershehadhadinstalledtheyearbeforemadethemorningwashanddrysoquickandpleasantthat,really,shefeltcertainDickiewouldwasheven
withoutsupervision.
Onamorninglikethis,whenshewasbusy,itwouldcertainlynotbenecessaryforhertodomorethandepositacasualpeckontheboy'scheekbeforeheleft.
Sheheardthesoftchimethemekkanosoundedtoindicateapproachingschooltimeandshefloateddowntheforcelifttothelowerfloor(herhairstyleforthe
dayonlysketchilydesigned,asyet)inordertoperformthatmotherlyduty.
ShefoundRichardstandingatthedoor,withhistextreelsandpocketprojectordanglingbytheirstrapandafrownonhisface.
"Say,Mom,"hesaid,lookingup,"Idialedtheschool'scoordsbutnothinghappens."
Shesaid,almostautomatically,"Nonsense,Dickie.Ineverheardofsuchathing."
"Well,youtry."
Mrs.Hanshawtriedanumberoftimes.Strange,theschoolDoorwasalwayssetforgeneralreception.Shetriedothercoordinates.Herfriends'Doorsmightnot
besetforreception,buttherewouldbeasignalatleast,andthenshecouldexplain.
Butnothinghappenedatall.TheDoorremainedaninactivegraybarrierdespiteallhermanipulations.ItwasobviousthattheDoorwasoutoforderandonly
fivemonthsafteritsannualfallinspectionbythecompany.
Shewasquiteangryaboutit.
Itwouldhappenonadaywhenshehadsomuchplanned.Shethoughtpetulantlyofthefactthatamonthearliershehaddecidedagainstinstallingasubsidiary
Dooronthegroundthatitwasanunnecessaryexpense.HowwasshetoknowthatDoorsweregettingtobesoshoddy?
ShesteppedtothevisiphonewhiletheangerstillburnedinherandsaidtoRichard,"Youjustgodowntheroad,Dickie,andusetheWilliamsons'Door."
Ironically,inviewoflaterdevelopments,Richardbalked."Aw,gee,Mom,I'llgetdirty.Can'tIstayhometilltheDoorisfixed?"
And,asironically,Mrs.Hanshawinsisted.Withherfingeronthecombinationboardofthephone,shesaid,"Youwon'tgetdirtyifyouputflexiesonyourshoes,
anddon'tforgettobrushyourselfwellbeforeyougointotheirhouse."
"But,golly"
"Nobacktalk,Dickie.You'vegottobeinschool.Justletmeseeyouwalkoutofhere.Andquickly,oryou'llbelate."
Themekkano,anadvancedmodelandveryresponsive,wasalreadystandingbeforeRichardwithflexiesinoneappendage.
Richardpulledthetransparentplasticshieldsoverhisshoesandmoveddownthehallwithvisiblereluctance."Idon'tevenknowhowtoworkthisthing,Mom."
"Youjustpushthatbutton,"Mrs.Hanshawcalled."Theredbutton.Whereitsays'ForEmergencyUse.'Anddon'tdawdle.Doyouwantthemekkanotogo
alongwithyou?"
"Gosh,no,"hecalledback,morosely,"whatdoyouthinkIam?Ababy?Gosh!"Hismutteringwascutoffbyaslam.
With flying fingers, Mrs. Hanshaw punched the appropriate combination on the phone board and thought of the things she intended saying to the company
aboutthis.
JoeBloom,areasonableyoungman,whohadgonethroughtechnologyschoolwithaddedtraininginforcefieldmechanics,wasattheHanshawresidencein
lessthanhalfanhour.Hewasreallyquitecompetent,thoughMrs.Hanshawregardedhisyouthwithdeepsuspicion.
Sheopenedthemovablehousepanelwhenhefirstsignaledandhersightofhimwasashestoodthere,brushingathimselfvigorouslytoremovethedustof
theopenair.Hetookoffhisflexiesanddroppedthemwherehestood.Mrs.Hanshawclosedthehousepanelagainsttheflashofrawsunlightthathadentered.
ShefoundherselfirrationallyhopingthatthestepbysteptripfromthepublicDoorhadbeenanunpleasantone.OrperhapsthatthepublicDooritselfhadbeen
outoforderandtheyouthhadhadtolughistoolsevenfartherthanthenecessarytwohundredyards.ShewantedtheCompany,oritsrepresentativeatleast,
tosufferabit.ItwouldteachthemwhatbrokenDoorsmeant.
Butheseemedcheerfulandunperturbedashesaid,"Goodmorning,ma'am.IcametoseeaboutyourDoor."
"I'mgladsomeonedid,"saidMrs.Hanshaw,ungraciously."Mydayisquiteruined."
"Sorry,ma'am.Whatseemstobethetrouble?"
"It just won't work. Nothing at all happens when you adjust coords," said Mrs. Hanshaw. "There was no warning at all. I had to send my son out to the
neighborsthroughthatthatthing."
Shepointedtotheentrancethroughwhichtherepairmanhadcome.
HesmiledandspokeoutoftheconsciouswisdomofhisownspecializedtraininginDoors."That'sadoor,too,ma'am.Youdon'tgivethatkindacapitalletter
whenyouwriteit.It'sahanddoor,sortof.Itusedtobetheonlykindonce."
"Well,atleastitworks.Myboy'shadtogooutinthedirtandgerms."
"It'snotbadoutsidetoday,ma'am,"hesaid,withtheconnoisseurlikeair
ofonewhoseprofessionforcedhimintotheopennearlyeveryday."Sometimesitisrealunpleasant.But1guessyouwantIshouldfixthishereDoor,ma'am,
soI'llgetonwithit."

Hesatdownonthefloor,openedthelargetoolcasehehadbroughtinwithhimandinhalfaminute,byuseofapointdemagnetizer,hehadthecontrolpanel
removedandasetofintricatevitalsexposed.
He whistled to himself as he placed the fine electrodes of the fieldanalyzer on numerous points, studying the shifting needles on the dials. Mrs. Hanshaw
watchedhim,armsfolded.
Finally,hesaid,"Well,here'ssomething,"andwithadefttwist,hedisengagedthebrakevalve.
Hetappeditwithafingernailandsaid,"Thisherebrakevalveisdepolarized,ma'am.There'syourwholetrouble."Heranhisfingeralongthelittlepigeonholesin
histoolcaseandliftedoutaduplicateoftheobjecthehadtakenfromthedoormechanism."Thesethingsjustgoallofasudden.Can'tpredictit."
Heputthecontrolpanelbackandstoodup."It'llworknow,ma'am."
Hepunchedareferencecombination,blankedit,thenpunchedanother.Eachtime,thedullgrayoftheDoorgavewaytoadeep,velvetyblackness.Hesaid,
"Willyousignhere,ma'am?andputdownyourchargenumber,too,please?Thankyou,ma'am."
Hepunchedanewcombination,thatofhishomefactory,andwithapolitetouchoffingertoforehead,hesteppedthroughtheDoor.Ashisbodyenteredthe
blackness,itcutoffsharply.Lessandlessofhimwasvisibleandthetipofhistoolcasewasthelastthingthatshowed.Asecondafterhehadpassedthrough
completely,theDoorturnedbacktodullgray.
Half an hour later, when Mrs. Hanshaw had finally completed her interrupted preparations and was fuming over the misfortune of the morning, the phone
buzzedannoyinglyandherrealtroublesbegan.
MissElizabethRobbinswasdistressed.LittleDickHanshawhadalwaysbeenagoodpupil.Shehatedtoreporthimlikethis.Andyet,shetoldherself,hisactions
werecertainlyqueer.Andshewouldtalktohismother,nottotheprincipal.
She slipped out to the phone during the morning study period, leaving a student in charge. She made her connection and found herself staring at Mrs.
Hanshaw'shandsomeandsomewhatformidablehead.
MissRobbinsquailed,butitwastoolatetoturnback.Shesaid,diffidently,"Mrs.Hanshaw,I'mMissRobbins."Sheendedonarisingnote.
Mrs.Hanshawlookedblank,thensaid,"Richard'steacher?"That,too,endedonarisingnote.
"That'sright.Icalledyou,Mrs.Hanshaw,"MissRobbinsplungedrightintoit,"totellyouthatDickwasquitelatetoschoolthismorning."
"Hewas?Butthatcouldn'tbe.Isawhimleave."
MissRobbinslookedastonished.Shesaid,"YoumeanyousawhimusetheDoor?"
Mrs.Hanshawsaidquickly,"Well,no.OurDoorwastemporarilyoutoforder.IsenthimtoaneighborandheusedthatDoor."
"Areyousure?"
"OfcourseI'msure.Iwouldn'tlietoyou."
"No,no,Mrs.Hanshaw.Iwasn'timplyingthatatall.Imeantareyousurehefoundthewaytotheneighbor?Hemighthavegotlost."
"Ridiculous.Wehavethepropermaps,andI'msureRichardknowsthelocationofeveryhouseinDistrictA3."Then,withthequietprideofonewhoknows
whatisherdue,sheadded,"Notthatheeverneedstoknow,ofcourse.Thecoordsareallthatarenecessaryatanytime."
MissRobbins,whocamefromafamilythathadalwayshadtoeconomizerigidlyontheuseofitsDoors(thepriceofpowerbeingwhatitwas)andwhohad
thereforerunerrandsonfootuntilquiteanadvancedage,resentedthepride.Shesaid,quiteclearly,"Well,I'mafraid,Mrs.Hanshaw,thatDickdidnotusethe
neighbor'sDoor.Hewasoveranhourlatetoschoolandtheconditionofhisflexiesmadeitquiteobviousthathetrampedcrosscountry.Theyweremuddy."
"Muddy?"Mrs.Hanshawrepeatedtheemphasisontheword."Whatdidhesay?Whatwashisexcuse?"
MissRobbinscouldn'thelpbutfeelalittlegladatthediscomfitureoftheotherwoman.Shesaid,"Hewouldn'ttalkaboutit.Frankly,Mrs.Hanshaw,heseemsill.
That'swhyIcalledyou.Perhapsyoumightwanttohaveadoctorlookathim."
"Isherunningatemperature?"Themother'svoicewentshrill.
"Oh,no.Idon'tmeanphysicallyill.It'sjusthisattitudeandthelookinhiseyes."Shehesitated,thensaidwitheveryattemptatdelicacy,"Ithoughtperhapsa
routinecheckupwithapsychicprobe"
Shedidn'tfinish.Mrs.Hanshaw,inachilledvoiceandwithwhatwasasclosetoasnortasherbreedingwouldpermit,said,"AreyouimplyingthatRichardis
neurotic?"
"Oh,no,Mrs.Hanshaw,but"
"Itcertainlysoundedso.Theidea!Hehasalwaysbeenperfectlyhealthy.I'lltakethisupwithhimwhenhegetshome.I'msurethere'saperfectlynormal
explanationwhichhe'llgivetome."
The connection broke abruptly, and Miss Robbins felt hurt and uncommonly foolish. After all she had only tried to help, to fulfill what she considered an
obligationtoherstudents.
Shehurriedbacktotheclassroomwithaglanceatthemetalfaceofthewallclock.Thestudyperiodwasdrawingtoanend.EnglishCompositionnext.
Buthermindwasn'tcompletelyonEnglishComposition.Automatically,shecalledthestudentstohavethemreadselectionsfromtheirliterary
creations.AndoccasionallyshepunchedoneofthoseselectionsontapeandranitthroughthesmallvocalizertoshowthestudentshowEnglishshouldberead.
Thevocalizer'smechanicalvoice,asalways,drippedperfection,but,againasalways,lackedcharacter.Sometimes,shewonderedifitwaswisetotrytotrainthe
studentsintoaspeechthatwasdivorcedfromindividualityandgearedonlytoamassaverageaccentandintonation.
Today,however,shehadnothoughtforthat.ItwasRichardHanshawshewatched.Hesatquietlyinhisseat,quiteobviouslyindifferenttohissurroundings.He
waslostdeepinhimselfandjustnotthesameboyhehadbeen.Itwasobvioustoherthathehadhadsomeunusualexperiencethatmorningand,really,she
wasrighttocallhismother,althoughperhapssheoughtnottohavemadetheremarkabouttheprobe.Stillitwasquitethethingthesedays.Allsortsof
peoplegetprobed.Therewasn'tanydisgraceattachedtoit.Orthereshouldn'tbe,anyway.
ShecalledonRichard,finally.Shehadtocalltwice,beforeherespondedandrosetohisfeet.
Thegeneralsubjectassignedhadbeen:"Ifyouhadyourchoiceoftravelingonsomeancientvehicle,whichwouldyouchoose,andwhy?"MissRobbinstriedto
usethetopiceverysemester.Itwasagoodonebecauseitcarriedasenseofhistorywithit.Itforcedtheyoungstertothinkaboutthemanneroflivingof
peopleinpastages.
ShelistenedwhileRichardHanshawreadinalowvoice.
"IfIhadmychoiceofancientvehicles,"hesaid,pronouncingthe"h"invehicles,"Iwouldchoosethestratoliner.Ittravelsslowlikeallvehiclesbutitisclean.
Becauseittravelsinthestratosphere,itmustbeallenclosedsothatyouarenotlikelytocatchdisease.Youcanseethestarsifitisnighttimealmostasgood
asinaplanetarium.IfyoulookdownyoucanseetheEarthlikeamapormaybeseeclouds"Hewentonforseveralhundredmorewords.
Shesaidbrightlywhenhehadfinishedreading,"It'spronouncedveeickulls,Richard.No'h.'Accentonthefirstsyllable.Andyoudon'tsay'travelsslow'or'see

good.'Whatdoyousay,class?"
Therewasasmallchorusofresponsesandshewenton,"That'sright.Nowwhatisthedifferencebetweenanadjectiveandanadverb?Whocantellme?"
Andsoitwent.Lunchpassed.Somepupilsstayedtoeatsomewenthome.Richardstayed.MissRobbinsnotedthat,asusuallyhedidn't.
Theafternoonpassed,too,andthentherewasthefinalbellandtheusualupsurginghumastwentyfiveboysandgirlsrattledtheirbelongingstogetherand
tooktheirleisurelyplaceinline.
MissRobbinsclappedherhandstogether,"Quickly,children.Come,Zelda,takeyourplace."
"Idroppedmytapepunch,MissRobbins,"shrilledthegirl,defensively.
"Well,pickitup,pickitup.Nowchildren,bebrisk,bebrisk."
ShepushedthebuttonthatslidasectionofthewallintoarecessandrevealedthegrayblanknessofalargeDoor.ItwasnottheusualDoorthattheoccasional
studentusedingoinghomeforlunch,butanadvancedmodelthatwasoneofthepridesofthiswelltodoprivateschool.
Inadditiontoitsdoublewidth,itpossessedalargeandimpressivelygearfilled"automaticserialfinder"whichwascapableofadjustingthedoorforanumberof
differentcoordinatesatautomaticintervals.
Atthebeginningofthesemester,MissRobbinsalwayshadtospendanafternoonwiththemechanic,adjustingthedeviceforthecoordinatesofthehomesof
thenewclass.Butthen,thankgoodness,itrarelyneededattentionfortheremainderoftheterm.
Theclasslinedupalphabetically,firstgirls,thenboys.TheDoorwentvelvetyblackandHesterAdamswavedherhandandsteppedthrough."Byyy"
The"bye"wascutoffinthemiddle,asitalmostalwayswas.
TheDoorwentgray,thenblackagain,andTheresaCantrocchiwentthrough.Gray,black,ZeldaCharlowicz.Gray,black,PatriciaCoombs.Gray,black,SaraMay
Evans.
ThelinegrewsmallerastheDoorswallowedthemonebyone,depositingeachinherhome.Ofcourse,anoccasionalmotherforgottoleavethehouseDooron
special reception at the appropriate time and then the school Door remained gray. Automatically, after a minutelong wait, the Door went on to the next
combinationinlineandthepupilinquestionhadtowaittillitwasallover,afterwhichaphonecalltotheforgetfulparentwouldsetthingsright.Thiswas
alwaysbadforthepupilsinvolved,especiallythesensitiveoneswhotookseriouslytheimplicationthattheywerelittlethoughtofathome.MissRobbinsalways
triedtoimpressthisonvisitingparents,butithappenedatleastonceeverysemesterjustthesame.
Thegirlswereallthroughnow.JohnAbramowitzsteppedthroughandthenEdwinByrne
Ofcourse,anothertrouble,andamorefrequentonewastheboyorgirlwhogotintolineoutofplace.Theywoulddoitdespitetheteacher'ssharpestwatch,
particularlyatthebeginningofthetermwhentheproperorderwaslessfamiliartothem.
Whenthathappened,childrenwouldbepoppingintothewronghousesbythehalfdozenandwouldhavetobesentback.Italwaysmeantamixupthattook
minutestostraightenoutandparentswereinvariablyirate.
MissRobbinswassuddenlyawarethatthelinehadstopped.Shespokesharplytotheboyattheheadoftheline.
"Stepthrough,Samuel.Whatareyouwaitingfor?"
SamuelJonesraisedacomplacentcountenanceandsaid,"It'snotmycombination,MissRobbins."
"Well,whoseisit?"Shelookedimpatientlydownthelineoffiveremainingboys.Whowasoutofplace?
"It'sDickHanshaw's,MissRobbins."
"Whereishe?"
Anotherboyanswered,withtheratherrepulsivetoneofselfrighteousnessallchildrenautomaticallyassumeinreportingthedeviationsoftheirfriendstoelders
inauthority,"Hewentthroughthefiredoor,MissRobbins."
"What?"
TheschoolroomDoorhadpassedontoanothercombinationandSamuelJonespassedthrough.Onebyone,therestfollowed.
MissRobbinswasaloneintheclassroom.Shesteppedtothefiredoor.Itwasasmallaffair,manuallyoperated,andhiddenbehindabendinthewallsothatit
wouldnotbreakuptheuniformstructureoftheroom.
Sheopeneditacrack.Itwasthereasameansofescapefromthebuildingincaseoffire,adevicewhichwasenforcedbyananachronisticlawthatdidnottake
intoaccountthemodernmethodsofautomaticfirefightingthatallpublicbuildingsused.Therewasnothingoutside,buttheoutsideThesunlightwasharsh
andadustywindwasblowing.
MissRobbinsclosedthedoor.ShewasgladshehadcalledMrs.Hanshaw.Shehaddoneherduty.Morethanever,itwasobviousthatsomethingwaswrong
withRichard.Shesuppressedtheimpulsetophoneagain.
Mrs.HanshawdidnotgotoNewYorkthatday.Sheremainedhomeinamixtureofanxietyandanirrationalanger,thelatterdirectedagainsttheimpudent
MissRobbins.
Somefifteenminutesbeforeschool'send,heranxietydrovehertotheDoor.Lastyearshehadhaditequippedwithanautomaticdevicewhichactivateditto
theschool'scoordinatesatfiveofthreeandkeptitso,barringmanualadjustment,untilRichardarrived.
HereyeswerefixedontheDoor'sdismalgray(whycouldn'taninactiveforcefieldbeanyothercolor,somethingmorelivelyandcheerful?)andwaited.Her
handsfeltcoldasshesqueezedthemtogether.
TheDoorturnedblackattheprecisesecondbutnothinghappened.TheminutespassedandRichardwaslate.Thenquitelate.Thenverylate.
It was a quarter of four and she was distracted. Normally, she would have phoned the school, but she couldn't, she couldn't. Not after that teacher had
deliberatelycastdoubtsonRichard'smentalwellbeing.Howcouldshe?
Mrs.Hanshawmovedaboutrestlessly,lightingacigarettewithfumblingfingers,thensmudgingitout.Coulditbesomethingquitenormal?CouldRichardbe
stayingafterschoolforsomereason?Surelyhewouldhavetoldherinadvance.AgleamoflightstruckherheknewshewasplanningtogotoNewYorkand
mightnotbebacktilllateintheevening
No,hewouldsurelyhavetoldher.Whyfoolherself?
Herpridewasbreaking.Shewouldhavetocalltheschool,oreven(she
closedhereyesandteardropssqueezedthroughbetweenthelashes)thepolice.
Andwhensheopenedhereyes,Richardstoodbeforeher,eyesonthegroundandhiswholebearingthatofsomeonewaitingforablowtofall.
"Hello,Mom."
Mrs.Hanshaw'sanxietytransmuteditselfinstantly(inamannerknownonlytomothers)intoanger."Wherehaveyoubeen,Richard?"

Andthen,beforeshecouldgofurtherintotherefrainconcerningcareless,unthinkingsonsandbrokenheartedmothers,shetooknoteofhisappearancein
greaterdetail,andgaspedinutterhorror.
Shesaid,"You'vebeenintheopen."
Hersonlookeddownathisdustyshoes(minusflexies),atthedirtmarksthatstreakedhislowerarmsandatthesmall,butdefinitetearinhisshirt.Hesaid,
"Gosh,Mom,IjustthoughtI'd"andhefadedout.
Shesaid,"WasthereanythingwrongwiththeschoolDoor?"
"No,Mom."
"DoyourealizeI'vebeenworriedsickaboutyou?"Shewaitedvainlyforananswer."Well,I'lltalktoyouafterward,youngman.First,you'retakingabath,and
everystitchofyourclothingisbeingthrownout.Mekkano!"
Butthemekkanohadalreadyreactedproperlytothephrase"takingabath"andwasofftothebathroominitssilentglide.
"Youtakeyourshoesoffrighthere,"saidMrs.Hanshaw,"thenmarchaftermekkano."
Richarddidashewastoldwitharesignationthatplacedhimbeyondfutileprotest.
Mrs. Hanshaw picked up the soiled shoes between thumb and forefinger and dropped them down the disposal chute which hummed in faint dismay at the
unexpectedload.Shedustedherhandscarefullyonatissuewhichsheallowedtofloatdownthechuteaftertheshoes.
She did not join Richard at dinner but let him eat in the worsethanlackofcompany of the mekkano. This, she thought, would be an active sign of her
displeasureandwoulddomorethananyamountofscoldingorpunishmenttomakehimrealizethathehaddonewrong.Richard,shefrequentlytoldherself,
wasasensitiveboy.
Butshewentuptoseehimatbedtime.
Shesmiledathimandspokesoftly.Shethoughtthatwouldbethebestway.Afterall,hehadbeenpunishedalready.
Shesaid,"Whathappenedtoday,Dickieboy?"Shehadcalledhimthatwhenhewasababyandjustthesoundofthenamesoftenedhernearlytotears.
Butheonlylookedawayandhisvoicewasstubbornandcold."Ijustdon'tliketogothroughthosedamDoors,Mom."
"Butwhyevernot?"
Heshuffledhishandsoverthefilmysheet(fresh,clean,antisepticand,ofcourse,disposableaftereachuse)andsaid,"Ijustdon'tlikethem."
"Butthenhowdoyouexpecttogotoschool,Dickie?"
"I'llgetupearly,"hemumbled.
"Butthere'snothingwrongwithDoors."
"Don'tlike'em."Heneveroncelookedupather.
Shesaid,despairingly,"Oh,well,youhaveagoodsleepandtomorrowmorningyou'llfeelmuchbetter."
Shekissedhimandlefttheroom,automaticallypassingherhandthroughthephotocellbeamandinthatmannerdimmingtheroomlights.
Butshehadtroublesleepingherselfthatnight.WhyshouldDickiedislikeDoorssosuddenly?Theyhadneverbotheredhimbefore.Tobesure,theDoorhad
brokendowninthemorningbutthatshouldmakehimappreciatethemallthemore.
Dickiewasbehavingsounreasonably.
Unreasonably?ThatremindedherofMissRobbinsandherdiagnosisandMrs.Hanshaw'ssoftjawsetinthedarknessandprivacyofherbedroom.Nonsense!
Theboywasupsetandanight'ssleepwasallthetherapyheneeded.
But the next morning when she arose, her son was not in the house. The mekkano could not speak but it could answer questions with gestures of its
appendagesequivalenttoayesorno,anditdidnottakeMrs.Hanshawmorethanhalfaminutetoascertainthattheboyhadarisenthirtyminutesearlierthan
usual,skimpedhisshower,anddartedoutofthehouse.
ButnotbywayoftheDoor.
Outtheotherwaythroughthedoor.Small"d."
Mrs. Hanshaw's visiphone signaled genteelly at 3:10 p.m. that day. Mrs. Hanshaw guessed the caller and having activated the receiver, saw that she had
guessedcorrectly.Aquickglanceinthemirrortoseethatshewasproperlycalmafteradayofabstractedconcernandworryandthenshekeyedinherown
transmission.
"Yes,MissRobbins,"shesaidcoldly.
Richard'steacherwasabitbreathless.Shesaid,"Mrs.Hanshaw,RichardhasdeliberatelyleftthroughthefiredooralthoughItoldhimtousetheregularDoor.I
donotknowwherehewent."Mrs.Hanshawsaid,carefully,"Helefttocomehome."MissRobbinslookeddismayed."Doyouapproveofthis?"Palefaced,Mrs.
Hanshawsetaboutputtingtheteacherinherplace."Idon'tthinkitisuptoyoutocriticize.IfmysondoesnotchoosetousetheDoor,itishisaffairandmine.
Idon'tthinkthereisanyschoolrulingthatwouldforcehimtousetheDoor,isthere?"Herbearingquiteplainlyintimatedthatiftherewereshewouldseetoit
thatitwaschanged.
MissRobbinsflushedandhadtimeforonequickremarkbeforecontactwasbroken.Shesaid,"I'dhavehimprobed.Ireallywould."
Mrs.Hanshawremainedstandingbeforethequartziniumplate,staringblindlyatitsblankface.Hersenseoffamilyplacedherforafewmomentsquitefirmlyon
Richard'sside.WhydidhehavetousetheDoorifhechosenotto?Andthenshesettleddowntowaitandpridebattledthegnawinganxietythatsomething
afterallwaswrongwithRichard.
Hecamehomewithalookofdefianceonhisface,buthismother,withastrenuouseffortatselfcontrol,methimasthoughnothingwereoutoftheordinary.
Forweeks,shefollowedthatpolicy.It'snothing,shetoldherself.It'savagary.He'llgrowoutofit.
Itgrewintoanalmostnormalstateofaffairs.Then,too,everyonceinawhile,perhapsthreedaysinarow,shewouldcomedowntobreakfasttofindRichard
waitingsullenlyattheDoor,thenusingitwhenschooltimecame.Shealwaysrefrainedfromcommentingonthematter.
Always,whenhedidthat,andespeciallywhenhefolloweditupbyarrivinghomeviatheDoor,herheartgrewwarmandshethought,"Well,it'sover."But
alwayswiththepassingofoneday,twoorthree,hewouldreturnlikeanaddicttohisdruganddriftsilentlyoutbythedoorsmall"d"beforeshewoke.
Andeachtimeshethoughtdespairinglyofpsychiatristsandprobes,andeachtimethevisionofMissRobbins'lowbredsatisfactionat(possibly)learningofit,
stoppedher,althoughshewasscarcelyawarethatthatwasthetruemotive.
Meanwhile, she lived with it and made the best of it. The mekkano was instructed to wait at the doorsmall "d"with a Tergo kit and a change of clothing.
Richardwashedandchangedwithoutresistance.Hisunderthings,socksandflexiesweredisposableinanycase,andMrs.Hanshawboreuncomplaininglythe
expenseofdailydisposalofshirts.Trousersshefinallyallowedtogoaweekbeforedisposalonconditionofrigorousnightlycleansing.

OnedayshesuggestedthatRichardaccompanyheronatriptoNewYork.Itwasmoreavaguedesiretokeephiminsightthanpartofanypurposefulplan.He
didnotobject.Hewasevenhappy.HesteppedrightthroughtheDoor,unconcerned.Hedidn'thesitate.Heevenlackedthelookofresentmentheworeon
thosemorningsheusedtheDoortogotoschool.
Mrs.Hanshawrejoiced.ThiscouldbeawayofweaninghimbackintoDoorusage,andsherackedheringenuityforexcusestomaketripswithRichard.She
evenraisedherpowerbilltoquiteunheardofheightsbysuggesting,andgoingthroughwith,atriptoCantonforthedayinordertowitnessaChinesefestival.
ThatwasonaSunday,andthenextmorningRichardmarcheddirectlyto
theholeinthewallhealwaysused.Mrs.Hanshaw,havingwakenedparticularlyearly,witnessedthat.Foronce,badgeredpastendurance,shecalledafterhim
plaintively,"WhynottheDoor,Dickie?"
Hesaid,briefly,"It'sallrightforCanton,"andsteppedoutofthehouse.
So that plan ended in failure. And then, one day, Richard came home soaking wet. The mekkano hovered above him uncertainly and Mrs. Hanshaw, just
returnedfromafourhourvisitwithhersisterinIowa,cried,"RichardHanshaw!"
Hesaid,hangdogfashion,"Itstartedraining.Allofasudden,itstartedraining."
Foramoment,theworddidn'tregisterwithher.Herownschooldaysandherstudiesofgeographyweretwentyyearsinthepast.Andthensheremembered
and caught the vision of water pouring recklessly and endlessly down from the skya mad cascade of water with no tap to turn off, no button to push, no
contacttobreak.
Shesaid,"Andyoustayedoutinit?"
Hesaid,"Well,gee,Mom,IcamehomefastasIcould.Ididn'tknowitwasgoingtorain."
Mrs.Hanshawhadnothingtosay.Shewasappalledandthesensationfilledhertoofullforwordstofindaplace.
Twodayslater,Richardfoundhimselfwitharunningnose,andadry,scratchythroat.Mrs.Hanshawhadtoadmitthatthevimsofdiseasehadfoundalodging
inherhouse,asthoughitwereamiserablehoveloftheIronAge.
Itwasoverthatthatherstubbornnessandpridebrokeandsheadmittedtoherselfthat,afterall,Richardhadtohavepsychiatrichelp.
Mrs.Hanshawchoseapsychiatristwithcare.Herfirstimpulsewastofindoneatadistance.Forawhik,sheconsideredsteppingdirectlyintotheSanFrancisco
MedicalCenterandchoosingoneatrandom.
And then it occurred to her that by doing that she would become merely an anonymous consultant. She would have no way of obtaining any greater
considerationforherselfthanwouldbeforthcomingtoanypublicDooruserofthecityslums.Nowifsheremainedinherowncommunity,herwordwouldcarry
weight
Sheconsultedthedistrictmap.ItwasoneofthatexcellentseriespreparedbyDoors,Inc.,anddistributedfreeofchargetotheirclients.Mrs.Hanshawcouldn't
quitesuppressthatlittlethrillofcivicprideassheunfoldedthemap.Itwasn'tafineprintdirectoryofDoorcoordinatesonly.Itwasanactualmap,witheach
housecarefullylocated.
Andwhynot?DistrictA3wasanameofmomentintheworld,abadgeofaristocracy.Itwasthefirstcommunityontheplanettohavebeenestablishedona
completelyDooredbasis.Thefirst,thelargest,thewealthiest,thebestknown.Itneedednofactories,nostores.Itdidn'tevenneedroads.
Eachhousewasalittlesecludedcastle,theDoorofwhichhadentryanywheretheworldoverwhereotherDoorsexisted.
Carefully,shefolloweddownthekeyedlistingofthefivethousandfamiliesofDistrictA3.Sheknewitincludedseveralpsychiatrists.Thelearnedprofessions
werewellrepresentedinA3.
Doctor Hamilton Sloane was the second name she arrived at and her finger lingered upon the map. His office was scarcely two miles from the Hanshaw
residence.Shelikedhisname.ThefactthathelivedinA3wasevidenceofworth.Andhewasaneighbor,practicallyaneighbor.Hewouldunderstandthatit
wasamatterofurgencyandconfidential.
Firmly,sheputinacalltohisofficetomakeanappointment.
DoctorHamiltonSloanewasacomparativelyyoungman,notquiteforty.HewasofgoodfamilyandhehadindeedheardofMrs.Hanshaw.
Helistenedtoherquietlyandthensaid,"AndthisallbeganwiththeDoorbreakdown."
"That'sright,Doctor."
"DoesheshowanyfearoftheDoors?"
"Ofcoursenot.Whatanidea!"Shewasplainlystartled.
"It'spossible,Mrs.Hanshaw,it'spossible.Afterall,whenyoustoptothinkofhowaDoorworksitisratherafrighteningthing,really.YoustepintoaDoor,and
foraninstantyouratomsareconvertedintofieldenergies,transmittedtoanotherpartofspaceandreconvertedintomatter.Forthatinstantyou'renotalive."
"I'msurenoonethinksofsuchthings."
"Butyoursonmay.HewitnessedthebreakdownoftheDoor.Hemaybesayingtohimself,'WhatiftheDoorbreaksdownjustasI'mhalfwaythrough?'"
"Butthat'snonsense.HestillusestheDoor.He'sevenbeentoCantonwithmeCanton,China.AndasItoldyou,heusesitforschoolaboutonceortwicea
week."
"Freely?Cheerfully?"
"Well,"saidMrs.Hanshaw,reluctantly,"hedoesseemabitputoutbyit.Butreally,Doctor,thereisn'tmuchusetalkingaboutit,isthere?Ifyouwoulddoa
quickprobe,seewherethetroublewas,"andshefinishedonabrightnote,"why,thatwouldbeall.I'msureit'squiteaminorthing."
Dr.Sloanesigned.Hedetestedtheword"probe"andtherewasscarcelyanywordheheardoftener.
"Mrs.Hanshaw,"hesaidpatiently,"thereisnosuchthingasaquickprobe.NowIknowthemagstripsarefullofitandit'sarageinsomecircles,butit'smuch
overrated."
"Areyouserious?"
"Quite.Theprobeisverycomplicatedandthetheoryisthatittracesmentalcircuits.Yousee,thecellsofthebrainsareinterconnectedinalarge
varietyofways.~Someofthoseinterconnectedpathsaremoreusedthanothers.Theyrepresenthabitsofthought,bothconsciousandunconscious.Theory
hasitthatthesepathsinanygivenbraincanbeusedtodiagnosementalillsearlyandwithcertainty."
"Well,then?"
"Butsubjectiontotheprobeisquiteafearfulthing,especiallytoachild.It'satraumaticexperience.Ittakesoveranhour.Andeventhen,theresultsmustbe
senttotheCentralPsychoanalyticalBureauforanalysis,andthatcouldtakeweeks.Andontopofallthat,Mrs.Hanshaw,therearemanypsychiatristswho
thinkthetheoryofprobeanalysestobemostuncertain."

Mrs.Hanshawcompressedherlips."Youmeannothingcanbedone."
Dr.Sloanesmiled."Notatall.Therewerepsychiatristsforcenturiesbeforetherewereprobes.Isuggestthatyouletmetalktotheboy."
"Talktohim?Isthatall?"
"I'llcometoyouforbackgroundinformationwhennecessary,buttheessentialthing,Ithink,istotalktotheboy."
"Really,Dr.Sloane,Idoubtifhe'lldiscussthematterwithyou.Hewon'ttalktomeaboutitandI'mhismother."
"Thatoftenhappens,"thepsychiatristassuredher."Achildwillsometimestalkmorereadilytoastranger.Inanycase,Icannottakethecaseotherwise."
Mrs.Hanshawrose,notatallpleased."Whencanyoucome,Doctor?"
"WhataboutthiscomingSaturday?Theboywon'tbeinschool.Willyoubebusy?"
"Wewillbeready."
Shemadeadignifiedexit.Dr.SloaneaccompaniedherthroughthesmallreceptionroomtohisofficeDoorandwaitedwhileshepunchedthecoordinatesofher
house.Hewatchedherpassthrough.Shebecameahalfwoman,aquarterwoman,anisolatedelbowandfoot,anothing.
Itwasfrightening.
DidaDooreverbreakdownduringpassage,leavinghalfabodyhereandhalfthere?Hehadneverheardofsuchacase,butheimagineditcouldhappen.
Hereturnedtohisdeskandlookedupthetimeofhisnextappointment.ItwasobvioustohimthatMrs.Hanshawwasannoyedanddisappointedatnothaving
arrangedforapsychicprobetreatment.
Why,forGod'ssake?Whyshouldathingliketheprobe,anobviouspieceofquackeryinhisownopinion,getsuchaholdonthegeneralpublic?Itmustbepart
of this general trend toward machines. Anything man can do, machines can do better. Machines! More machines! Machines for anything and everything! O
temporalOmores!
Oh,hell!
Hisresentmentoftheprobewasbeginningtobotherhim.Wasitafear
oftechnologicalunemployment,abasicinsecurityonhispart,amechanophobia,ifthatwasthewordHemadeamentalnotetodiscussthiswithhisown
analyst.
Dr.Sloanehadtofeelhisway.Theboywasn'tapatientwhohadcometohim,moreorlessanxioustotalk,moreorlessanxioustobehelped.
Under the circumstances it would have been best to keep his first meeting with Richard short and noncommittal. It would have been sufficient merely to
establish himself as something less than a total stranger. The next time he would be someone Richard had seen before. The time after he would be an
acquaintance,andafterthatafriendofthefamily.
Unfortunately,Mrs.Hanshawwasnotlikelytoacceptalongdrawnoutprocess.Shewouldgosearchingforaprobeand,ofcourse,shewouldfindit.
Andharmtheboy.Hewascertainofthat.
Itwasforthatreasonhefelthemustsacrificealittleofthepropercautionandriskasmallcrisis.
Anuncomfortabletenminuteshadpassedwhenhedecidedhemusttry.Mrs.Hanshawwassmilinginaratherrigidway,eyeinghimnarrowly,asthoughshe
expected verbal magic from him. Richard wriggled in his seat, unresponsive to Dr. Sloane's tentative comments, overcome with boredom and unable not to
showit.
Dr.Sloanesaid,withcasualsuddenness,"Wouldyouliketotakeawalkwithme,Richard?"
Theboy'seyeswidenedandhestoppedwriggling.HelookeddirectlyatDr.Sloane."Awalk,sir?"
"Imean,outside."
"Doyougooutside?"
"Sometimes.WhenIfeellikeit."
Richardwasonhisfeet,holdingdownasquirmingeagerness."Ididn'tthinkanyonedid."
"Ido.AndIlikecompany."
Theboysatdown,uncertainly."Mom?"
Mrs.Hanshawhadstiffenedinherseat,hercompressedlipsradiatinghorror,butshemanagedtosay,"Whycertainly,Dickie.Butwatchyourself."
AndshemanagedaquickandbalefulglareatDr.Sloane.
In one respect, Dr. Sloane had lied. He did not go outside "sometimes." He hadn't been in the open since early college days. True, he had been athletically
inclined(stillwastosomeextent)butinhistimetheindoorultravioletchambers,swimmingpoolsandtenniscourtshadflourished.Forthosewiththeprice,
theyweremuchmoresatisfactorythantheoutdoorequivalents,opentotheelementsastheywere,couldpossiblybe.Therewasnooccasiontogooutside.
Sotherewasacrawlingsensationabouthisskinwhenhefeltwindtouchit,andheputdownhisflexiedshoesonbaregrasswithagingerlymovement.
"Hey,lookatthat."Richardwasquitedifferentnow,laughing,hisreservebrokendown.
Dr.Sloanehadtimeonlytocatchaflashofbluethatendedinatree.Leavesrustledandhelostit.
"Whatwasit?"
"Abird,"saidRichard."Abluekindofbird."
Dr.Sloanelookedabouthiminamazement.TheHanshawresidencewasonariseofground,andhecouldseeformiles.Theareawasonlylightlywoodedand
betweenclumpsoftrees,grassgleamedbrightlyinthesunlight.
Colorssetindeepergreenmaderedandyellowpatterns.Theywereflowers.Fromthebookshehadviewedinthecourseofhislifetimeandfromtheoldvideo
shows,hehadlearnedenoughsothatallthishadaneeriesortoffamiliarity.
Andyetthegrasswassotrim,theflowerssopatterned.Dimly,herealizedhehadbeenexpectingsomethingwilder.Hesaid,"Whotakescareofallthis?"
Richardshrugged."Idunno.Maybethemekkanosdoit."
"Mekkanos?"
"There'sloadsofthemaround.Sometimestheygotasortofatomicknifetheyholdneartheground.Itcutsthegrass.Andthey'realwaysfoolingaroundwith
theflowersandthings.There'soneofthemoverthere."

Itwasasmallobject,halfamileaway.Itsmetalskincastbackhighlightsasitmovedslowlyoverthegleamingmeadow,engagedinsomesortofactivitythat
Dr.Sloanecouldnotidentify.
Dr.Sloanewasastonished.Hereitwasaperversesortofestheticism,akindofconspicuousconsumption
"What'sthat?"heaskedsuddenly.
Richardlooked.Hesaid,"That'sahouse.BelongstotheFroehlichs.Coordinates,A3,23,461.ThatlittlepointybuildingoverthereisthepublicDoor."
Dr.Sloanewasstaringatthehouse.Wasthatwhatitlookedlikefromtheoutside?Somehowhehadimaginedsomethingmuchmorecubic,andtaller.
"Comealong,"shoutedRichard,runningahead.
Dr.Sloanefollowedmoresedately."Doyouknowallthehousesabouthere?"
"Justabout."
"WhereisA23,26,475?"Itwashisownhouse,ofcourse.
Richardlookedabout."Let'ssee.Oh,sure,Iknowwhereitisyouseethatwaterthere?"
"Water?"Dr.Sloanemadeoutalineofsilvercurvingacrossthegreen.
"Sure.Realwater.Justsortofrunningoverrocksandthings.Itkeeps
runningallthetime.Youcangetacrossitifyoustepontherocks.It'scalledariver."
More like a creek, thought Dr. Sloane. He had studied geography, of course, but what passed for the subject these days was really economic and cultural
geography.Physicalgeographywasalmostanextinctscienceexceptamongspecialists.Still,heknewwhatriversandcreekswere,inatheoreticalsortofway.
Richardwasstilltalking."Well,justpasttheriver,overthathillwiththebigclumpoftreesanddowntheothersideawayisA23,26,475.It'salightgreen
housewithawhiteroof."
"Itis?"Dr.Sloanewasgenuinelyastonished.Hehadn'tknownitwasgreen.
Somesmallanimaldisturbedthegrassinitsanxietytoavoidtheoncomingfeet.Richardlookedafteritandshrugged."Youcan'tcatchthem.Itried."
Abutterflyflittedpast,awaveringbitofyellow.Dr.Sloane'seyesfollowedit.
Therewasalowhumthatlayoverthefields,interspersedwithanoccasionalharsh,callingsound,arattle,atwittering,achatterthatrose,thenfell.Ashisear
accustomeditselftolistening,Dr.Sloaneheardathousandsounds,andnoneweremanmade.
Ashadowfelluponthescene,advancingtowardhim,coveringhim.Itwassuddenlycoolerandhelookedupward,startled.
Richardsaid,"It'sjustacloud.It'llgoawayinaminutelookatheseflowers.They'rethekindthatsmell."
TheywereseveralhundredyardsfromtheHanshawresidence.Thecloudpassedandthesunshoneoncemore.Dr.Sloanelookedbackandwasappalledatthe
distancetheyhadcovered.IftheymovedoutofsightofthehouseandifRichardranoff,wouldhebeabletofindhiswayback?
He pushed the thought away impatiently and looked out toward the line of water (nearer now) and past it to where his own house must be. He thought
wonderingly:Lightgreen?
Hesaid,"Youmustbequiteanexplorer."
Richardsaid,withashypride,"WhenIgotoschoolandcomeback,Ialwaystrytouseadifferentrouteandseenewthings."
"Butyoudon'tgooutsideeverymorning,doyou?SometimesyouusetheDoors,Iimagine."
"Oh,sure."
"Whyisthat,Richard?"Somehow,Dr.Sloanefelttheremightbesignificanceinthatpoint.
ButRichardquashedhim.Withhiseyebrowsupandalookofastonishmentonhisface,hesaid,"Well,gosh,somemorningsitrainsandIhavetousetheDoor.
Ihatethat,butwhatcanyoudo?Abouttwoweeksago,Igot
caughtintherainandI"helookedabouthimautomatically,andhisvoicesanktoawhisper"caughtacold,andwasn'tMomupset,though."
Dr.Sloanesighed."Shallwegobacknow?"
TherewasaquickdisappointmentonRichard'sface."Aw,whatfor?"
"Youremindmethatyourmothermustbewaitingforus."
"Iguessso."Theboyturnedreluctantly.
Theywalkedslowlyback.Richardwassaying,chattily,"IwroteacompositionatschoolonceabouthowifIcouldgoonsomeancientvehicle"(hepronouncedit
withexaggeratedcare)"I'dgoinastratolinerandlookatstarsandcloudsandthings.Oh,boy,Iwassurenuts."
"You'dpicksomethingelsenow?"
"Youbet.I'dgoinanaut'm'bile,realslow.ThenI'dseeeverythingtherewas."
Mrs.Hanshawseemedtroubled,uncertain."Youdon'tthinkit'sabnormal,then,Doctor?"
"Unusual,perhaps,butnotabnormal.Helikestheoutside."
"Buthowcanhe?It'ssodirty,sounpleasant."
"That'samatterofindividualtaste.Ahundredyearsagoourancestorswerealloutsidemostofthetime.Eventoday,IdaresaythereareamillionAfricanswho
haveneverseenaDoor."
"ButRichard'salwaysbeentaughttobehavehimselfthewayadecentpersoninDistrictA3issupposedtobehave,"saidMrs.Hanshaw,fiercely."Notlikean
Africanororanancestor."
"Thatmaybepartofthetrouble,Mrs.Hanshaw.Hefeelsthisurgetogooutsideandyethefeelsittobewrong.He'sashamedtotalkaboutittoyouortohis
teacher.Itforceshimintosullenretreatanditcouldeventuallybedangerous."
"Thenhowcanwepersuadehimtostop?"
Dr.Sloanesaid,"Don'ttry.Channeltheactivityinstead.ThedayyourDoorbrokedown,hewasforcedoutside,foundhelikedit,andthatsetapattern.Heused
thetriptoschoolandbackasanexcusetorepeatthatfirstexcitingexperience.NowsupposeyouagreetolethimoutofthehousefortwohoursonSaturdays
andSundays.Supposehegetsitthroughhisheadthatafterallhecangooutsidewithoutnecessarilyhavingtogoanywhereintheprocess.Don'tyouthink

he'llbewillingtousetheDoortogotoschoolandbackthereafter?Anddon'tyouthinkthatwillstopthetroublehe'snowhavingwithhisteacherandprobably
withhisfellowpupils?"
"Butthenwillmattersremainso?Mustthey?Won'theeverbenormalagain?"
Dr.Sloanerosetohisfeet."Mrs.Hanshaw,he'sasnormalasneedberightnow.Rightnow,he'stastingthejoysoftheforbidden.Ifyoucooperatewithhim,
showthatyoudon'tdisapprove,itwilllosesomeofitsattractionrightthere.Then,ashegrowsolder,hewillbecomemoreaware
oftheexpectationsanddemandsofsociety.Hewilllearntoconform.Afterall,thereisalittleoftherebelinallofus,butitgenerallydiesdownaswegrowold
andtired.Unless,thatis,itisunreasonablysuppressedandallowedtobuilduppressure.Don'tdothat.Richardwillbeallright."
HewalkedtotheDoor.
Mrs.Hanshawsaid,"Andyoudon'tthinkaprobewillbenecessary,Doctor?"
Heturnedandsaidvehemently,"No,definitelynot!Thereisnothingabouttheboythatrequiresit.Understand?Nothing."
Hisfingershesitatedaninchfromthecombinationboardandtheexpressiononhisfacegrewlowering.
"What'sthematter,Dr.Sloane?"askedMrs.Hanshaw.
Buthedidn'thearherbecausehewasthinkingoftheDoorandthepsychicprobeandalltherising,chokingtideofmachinery.Thereisalittleoftherebelinall
ofus,hethought.
Sohesaidinasoftvoice,ashishandfellawayfromtheboardandhisfeetturnedawayfromtheDoor,"Youknow,it'ssuchabeautifuldaythatIthinkI'll
walk."