i keep blinking , as if they 're an optical illusion or a trick or something . they say that brightness is an indication of distance from the earth . `` but even that would n't do it . in the hotel that we 'd checked into forty-five minutes ago , he 'd made the call to tell them we were in town and he wanted to see them . her heart leaped into her throat as she started to rise . `` well , okay , i just wanted to clear that up . '' 