K-Pax (16 page)
I
didn'
t
kno
w
whethe
r
t
o
fee
l
gladdene
d
o
r
saddene
d
b
y
thi
s
cheerfu
l
answer
.
O
n
th
e
on
e
hand
,
the
ma
n
seeme
d
genuinel
y
conten
t
wit
h
hi
s
imaginar
y
lot
.
O
n
th
e
other
,
i
t
wa
s
obviou
s
h
e
wa
s
denyin
g
not
onl
y
hi
s
family
,
bu
t
hi
s
schoo
l
experiences
,
hi
s
childhoo
d
itself
.
Eve
n
hi
s
country
.
Everything
.
Ever
y
aspect
o
f
hi
s
entir
e
life
,
whic
h
mus
t
hav
e
bee
n
quit
e
abominable
,
indeed
.
I
fel
t
a
grea
t
dea
l
o
f
pit
y
fo
r
thi
s
young
man.
I
ende
d
th
e
intervie
w
wit
h
a
questio
n
abou
t
hi
s
"hom
e
town,
"
bu
t
thi
s
als
o
le
d
nowhere
.
K-PAXians
seeme
d
t
o
drif
t
fro
m
plac
e
t
o
plac
e
lik
e
nomads.
I
dismisse
d
th
e
patien
t
an
d
h
e
returne
d
t
o
hi
s
ward
.
I
ha
d
bee
n
s
o
astonishe
d
b
y
hi
s
utte
r
denia
l
of
everythin
g
huma
n
tha
t
I
forgo
t
t
o
cal
l
th
e
orderlie
s
t
o
g
o
wit
h
him.
Afte
r
h
e
ha
d
gon
e
I
returne
d
t
o
m
y
adjacen
t
offic
e
an
d
wen
t
throug
h
hi
s
entir
e
fil
e
again
.
I
ha
d
never
experience
d
a
cas
e
lik
e
this
,
on
e
fo
r
whic
h
I
couldn'
t
see
m
t
o
fin
d
an
y
kin
d
o
f
handle
.
Onl
y
on
e
othe
r
in
thirt
y
year
s
wa
s
eve
n
close
,
an
d
i
t
als
o
involve
d
a
n
amnesiac
.
A
studen
t
o
f
min
e
wa
s
eventuall
y
abl
e
to
trac
e
th
e
man'
s
root
s
throug
h
a
n
analysi
s
o
f
hi
s
reawakene
d
interes
t
i
n
sports-bu
t
i
t
too
k
a
coupl
e
of
years.
I
jotte
d
dow
n
wha
t
I
ha
d
o
n
pro
t
s
o
far:
1
.
P
hate
s
hi
s
parents-ha
d
h
e
bee
n
abused?
2
.
P
hate
s
hi
s
job
,
th
e
government
,
perhap
s
societ
y
a
s
a
whole-ha
d
ther
e
bee
n
a
lega
l
problem
resultin
g
i
n
a
perceive
d
injustice?
3
.
Di
d
somethin
g
happe
n
4-
5
yr
s
ag
o
tha
t
underla
y
al
l
thes
e
apparen
t
hatreds?
4
.
O
n
to
p
o
f
everythin
g
else
,
th
e
patien
t
ha
s
a
sever
e
se
x
hang-up.
A
s
I
looke
d
ove
r
thes
e
note
s
I
remembere
d
somethin
g
tha
t
m
y
colleagu
e
Klau
s
Viller
s
ha
s
professed
o
n
mor
e
tha
n
on
e
occasion
:
Extraordinar
y
case
s
requir
e
extraordinar
y
measures
.
I
wa
s
thinkin
g
o
f
the
rar
e
instance
s
i
n
whic
h
a
delusiona
l
o
f
exceptiona
l
intelligenc
e
ha
s
bee
n
convince
d
tha
t
hi
s
identit
y
was
false
.
Th
e
mos
t
famou
s
exampl
e
o
f
thi
s
treatmen
t
i
s
th
e
on
e
i
n
whic
h
a
well-know
n
comedia
n
graciously
consente
d
t
o
confron
t
a
delusiona
l
look-alike
,
an
d
a
miraculou
s
cur
e
wa
s
quickl
y
effecte
d
(bu
t
no
t
before
the
y
bot
h
pu
t
o
n
quit
e
a
show
,
evidently)
.
I
f
I
coul
d
prov
e
t
o
pro
t
tha
t
h
e
was
,
i
n
fact
,
a
n
ordinar
y
human bein
g
an
d
no
t
som
e
alie
n
fro
m
anothe
r
planet...
I
decide
d
t
o
d
o
a
mor
e
thoroug
h
physica
l
an
d
menta
l
worku
p
o
n
him
.
I
wa
s
particularl
y
intereste
d
in
learnin
g
whethe
r
h
e
was
,
i
n
fact
,
abnormall
y
sensitiv
e
t
o
light
,
a
s
h
e
claime
d
t
o
be
.
I
als
o
wante
d
t
o
have
th
e
result
s
o
f
a
n
aptitud
e
tes
t
an
d
t
o
determin
e
th
e
exten
t
o
f
hi
s
genera
l
knowledge
,
particularl
y
i
n
the
area
s
o
f
physic
s
an
d
astronomy
.
Th
e
mor
e
w
e
kne
w
abou
t
hi
s
background
,
th
e
easie
r
i
t
woul
d
b
e
t
o
find
ou
t
wh
o
h
e
reall
y
was.
