        Earlier, he had seen her light up her throat with a glowing light—was that also the same sort of thing?  Was the barrier behind her—the giant magenta bubble—formed in the same manner?  Might this appendage be a way to focus mental energy into carrying out an action?  If it was, what powered it?  Was there a small atomic pellet in its base?  Was it possible that she had been maintaining the barrier behind her all morning, with so little effort that she had been able to interact with him?  If so, what did it mean for him?  If he annoyed her, could she lift him as easily as the marbles?