K-Pax (109 page)
"I'v
e
go
t
som
e
picture
s
an
d
document
s
t
o
sho
w
you,
"
I
said
,
spreadin
g
th
e
fil
e
ou
t
o
n
it
s
surface
,
gently
shovin
g
asid
e
hi
s
still-unfinishe
d
report
.
A
fe
w
o
f
th
e
photograph
s
I
hel
d
back.
H
e
looke
d
ove
r
th
e
picture
s
o
f
himself
,
th
e
birt
h
an
d
graduatio
n
certificates
.
"Wher
e
di
d
yo
u
get these?"
"Gisell
e
sen
t
the
m
t
o
me
.
Sh
e
foun
d
the
m
i
n
Guelph
,
Montana
.
D
o
yo
u
recogniz
e
th
e
boy?"
"Yes
.
I
t
i
s
robert."
"No
.
I
t
i
s
you."
"Haven'
t
w
e
bee
n
ove
r
thi
s
before?"
"Yes
,
bu
t
a
t
tha
t
tim
e
I
didn'
t
hav
e
anythin
g
t
o
prov
e
tha
t
yo
u
an
d
Rober
t
wer
e
th
e
sam
e
person."
"An
d
w
e
aren't."
"Ho
w
d
o
yo
u
explai
n
th
e
fac
t
tha
t
h
e
look
s
s
o
muc
h
lik
e
you?"
"Wh
y
i
s
a
soa
p
bubbl
e
round?"
"No
,
I
mea
n
wh
y
doe
s
h
e
loo
k
exactl
y
lik
e
you?"
"H
e
doesn't
:
H
e
i
s
thinne
r
an
d
faire
r
tha
n
I
am
.
M
y
eye
s
ar
e
light-sensitiv
e
an
d
hi
s
aren't
.
W
e
are
differen
t
i
n
a
thousan
d
ways
,
a
s
yo
u
ar
e
differen
t
fro
m
you
r
frien
d
bil
l
siegel."
"No
.
Rober
t
i
s
you
.
Yo
u
ar
e
Robert
.
Yo
u
ar
e
eac
h
par
t
o
f
th
e
sam
e
being."
"Yo
u
ar
e
wrong
.
I'
m
no
t
eve
n
human
.
W
e
ar
e
jus
t
clos
e
friends
.
Withou
t
m
e
he'
d
b
e
dea
d
b
y
now."
"An
d
s
o
woul
d
you
.
Whateve
r
happen
s
t
o
hi
m
als
o
happen
s
t
o
you
.
D
o
yo
u
understan
d
wha
t
I
am
saying?"
"I
t
i
s
a
n
interestin
g
hypothesis.
"
H
e
wrot
e
somethin
g
i
n
on
e
o
f
th
e
notebooks.
"Look
.
D
o
yo
u
remembe
r
tellin
g
m
e
tha
t
th
e
univers
e
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
expan
d
an
d
contrac
t
ove
r
and
ove
r
again
,
forever?"
"Naturally."
"An
d
yo
u
sai
d
late
r
tha
t
i
f
w
e
wer
e
i
n
th
e
contractio
n
phase
,
tim
e
woul
d
ru
n
backwar
d
bu
t
we'd
neve
r
kno
w
th
e
differenc
e
becaus
e
al
l
w
e
woul
d
hav
e
woul
d
b
e
ou
r
memorie
s
o
f
th
e
pas
t
an
d
a
lac
k
of
knowledg
e
o
f
th
e
future
.
Remember?"
"O
f
course."
"Al
l
right
.
It'
s
th
e
sam
e
here
.
Fro
m
you
r
perspectiv
e
Rober
t
i
s
a
separat
e
individual
.
Fro
m
my
perspectiv
e
th
e
trut
h
i
s
perfectl
y
logica
l
an
d
obvious
.
Yo
u
an
d
Rober
t
ar
e
on
e
an
d
th
e
sam
e
person."
"Yo
u
misunderstan
d
th
e
reversa
l
o
f
time
.
Whethe
r
i
t
i
s
movin
g
forwar
d
o
r
backward
,
th
e
perception
i
s
th
e
same."
"So?"
"S
o
i
t
make
s
n
o
differenc
e
whethe
r
yo
u
ar
e
correc
t
o
r
not."
"Bu
t
yo
u
admi
t
th
e
possibilit
y
tha
t
I'
m
right?"
Hi
s
smil
e
widene
d
markedly
.
"I'l
l
admi
t
that
,
i
f
you'l
l
admi
t
it'
s
possibl
e
tha
t
I
cam
e
fro
m
K-PAX."
Fro
m
hi
s
poin
t
o
f
vie
w
ther
e
wasn'
t
th
e
slightes
t
doub
t
abou
t
hi
s
background
.
Give
n
severa
l
more
month
s
o
r
year
s
I
migh
t
hav
e
bee
n
abl
e
t
o
convinc
e
hi
m
otherwise
.
Bu
t
ther
e
wa
s
n
o
mor
e
time
.
I
pulled
th
e
picture
s
o
f
Sara
h
an
d
Rebecc
a
fro
m
m
y
pocket
.
"D
o
yo
u
recogniz
e
them?"
