K-Pax (22 page)

Read K-Pax Online

Authors: Gene Brewer

Tags: #Fiction, #Science Fiction, #General

BOOK: K-Pax
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A
t
th
e
time
,
Bett
y
ha
d
bee
n
wit
h
 
u
s
 
fo
r
 
eleve
n
 
years
,
 
th
e
 
las
t
 
tw
o
 
i
n
th
e
 
capacit
y
 
o
f
 
hea
d
 
nurse
.
 
She
wa
s
 
th
e
 
onl
y
 
perso
n
 
I
 
ha
d
 
eve
r
 
me
t
 
wh
o
 
ha
d
 
rea
d
 
al
l
o
f
 
Taylo
r
 
Caldwell'
s
 
novels
,
 
an
d
 
a
s
 
lon
g
 
a
s
 
I
 
had
know
n
he
r
 
ha
d
 
bee
n
 
tryin
g
 
t
o
 
ge
t
 
pregnant
.
 
Althoug
h
 
sh
e
 
ha
d
 
resorte
d
 
t
o
 
almos
t
 
ever
y
 
know
n
 
scientific
an
d
fol
k
remedy
,
sh
e
eschewe
d
th
e
so-calle
d
fertilit
y
pill
s
because
,
a
s
sh
e
pu
t
it
,
"
I
onl
y
wan
t
th
e
 
one
,
 
not
a
whol
e
menagerie.
"
Non
e
o
f
thi
s
affecte
d
he
r
work
,
however
,
an
d
 
sh
e
 
consistentl
y
 
performe
d
 
he
r
 
duties
cheerfull
y
an
d
well.

 

Accordin
g
 
t
o
 
Betty'
s
 
report
,
 
pro
t
 
wa
s
 
extremel
y
 
cooperativ
e
 
throughou
t
 
th
e
 
examinatio
n
 
period. Indeed
,
 
th
e
 
eagernes
s
 
wit
h
 
whic
h
 
h
e
 
attacke
d
 
th
e
 
test
s
 
an
d
 
questionnaire
s
 
supporte
d
 
m
y
 
earlier speculatio
n
o
f
a
n
academi
c
background
.
Ho
w
fa
r
h
e
ha
d
progresse
d
wit
h
hi
s
 
educatio
n
 
wa
s
 
stil
l
a
 
matter
o
f
conjecture
,
bu
t
i
t
seeme
d
quit
e
likely
,
base
d
o
n
hi
s
confiden
t
 
demeano
r
 
an
d
 
articulateness
,
 
tha
t
 
h
e
 
had
a
t
leas
t
attende
d
colleg
e
an
d
possibl
y
eve
n
a
graduat
e
o
r
professiona
l
school.

I
t
too
k
a
fe
w
day
s
t
o
proces
s
th
e
data
,
an
d
I
mus
t
confes
s
 
tha
t
 
m
y
curiosit
y
 
wa
s
 
suc
h
 
tha
t
 
I
 
le
t
 
lapse
som
e
 
thing
s
 
I
 
ha
d
 
planne
d
 
t
o
 
d
o
 
a
t
 
hom
e
 
i
n
orde
r
 
t
o
 
com
e
 
i
n
o
n
 
Saturda
y
 
t
o
 
finis
h
wha
t
 
Bett
y
 
ha
d
 
not
complete
d
 
b
y
 
Frida
y
 
afternoon
.
 
Th
e
 
fina
l
 
results
,
 
thoug
h
 
generall
y
 
unremarkabl
e
 
(a
s
 
I
 
ha
d
 
expected),
wer
e
nonetheles
s
interesting
.
The
y
ar
e
summarize
d
a
s
follows:

 

 

I
Q
15
4
(wel
l
abov
e
average
,
thoug
h
no
t
i
n
geniu
s
category)

Psychologica
l
test
s
(left/right
,
mazes
,
mirro
r
tests
,
etc.-addnl
.
t
o
std
.
admissio
n
exam
)
normal

Neurologica
l
test
s
normal

EE
G
(performe
d
b
y
D
r
Chakraborty
)
normal

Short-ter
m
memor
y
excellent

Readin
g
skil
l
ver
y
good

Artisti
c
ability/eideti
c
imager
y
variable

Musica
l
abilit
y
belo
w
average

Genera
l
knowledg
e
(history
,
geography
,
languages
,
th
e
arts
)
broa
d
an
d
impressive

Mat
h
an
d
scienc
e
(particularl
y
physic
s
an
d
astronomy
)
outstanding

Knowledg
e
o
f
sport
s
minimal

Genera
l
physica
l
strengt
h
abov
e
average

Hearing
,
taste
,
smell
,
tactil
e
acuitie
s
highl
y
sensitive

"Specia
l
senses
"
(abilit
y
t
o
`feel
"
colors
,
sens
e
th
e
presenc
e
o
f
othe
r
people
,
etc.
)
questionable

Vision

1
.
Sensitivit
y
t
o
whit
e
ligh
t
marked!

2
.
Rang
e
ca
n
detec
t
ligh
t
a
t
300-40
0
A
(UV)!

 

 

Aptitud
e
coul
d
d
o
almos
t
anything
;
particula
r
affinit
y
fo
r
natura
l
histor
y
an
d
physica
l
sciences

 

A
s
ca
n
b
e
seen
,
th
e
onl
y
 
unusua
l
 
findin
g
wa
s
 
th
e
 
patient'
s
 
abilit
y
 
t
o
 
se
e
 
ligh
t
a
t
 
wavelength
s
 
wel
l
 
into
th
e
 
ultraviole
t
 
range
.
 
Hi
s
 
apparen
t
 
sensitivit
y
 
t
o
 
visibl
e
 
ligh
t
coul
d
 
hav
e
 
bee
n
 
du
e
 
t
o
 
a
 
geneti
c
 
defect
;
 
in
an
y
cas
e
 
ther
e
 
wa
s
 
n
o
 
obviou
s
 
retina
l
 
damag
e
 
(nevertheless
,
 
I
 
mad
e
 
a
 
not
e
 
t
o
 
cal
l
 
Dr
.
 
Rappaport
,
 
our
ophthalmologist
,
 
firs
t
 
thin
g
 
o
n
 
Tuesday
,
 
Monda
y
 
bein
g
 
Memoria
l
 
Day)
.
 
Otherwis
e
 
ther
e
 
wa
s
 
no
suggestio
n
o
f
an
y
specia
l
alie
n
talents.

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