K-Pax (27 page)

Read K-Pax Online

Authors: Gene Brewer

Tags: #Fiction, #Science Fiction, #General

BOOK: K-Pax
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Bu
t
o
n
 
thei
r
 
weddin
g
 
da
y
 
sh
e
 
ra
n
 
of
f
 
wit
h
 
a
n
 
ol
d
 
boyfriend
,
 
recentl
y
 
release
d
 
fro
m
 
th
e
 
stat
e
 
prison,
leavin
g
Whack
y
literall
y
standin
g
a
t
th
e
alta
r
(an
d
burstin
g
a
t
th
e
seams)
.
Whe
n
h
e
 
receive
d
 
th
e
 
new
s
 
that

hi
s
fiance
e
ha
d
jilte
d
him
,
h
e
too
k
dow
n
hi
s
 
pant
s
 
an
d
 
bega
n
 
t
o
 
masturbat
e
 
righ
t
 
ther
e
 
i
n
th
e
 
church
,
 
and
h
e
ha
s
bee
n
a
t
i
t
eve
r
since.

Prostitutio
n
 
therap
y
 
wa
s
 
completel
y
 
ineffectiv
e
 
i
n
 
Whacky'
s
 
case
.
 
However
,
 
dru
g
 
treatment
s
 
have
prove
n
 
marginall
y
 
successful
,
 
an
d
 
h
e
 
ca
n
 
usuall
y
 
com
e
 
t
o
 
th
e
 
tabl
e
 
an
d
 
ge
t
 
bac
k
 
t
o
 
hi
s
 
roo
m
 
without
causin
g
a
disturbance.

Whe
n
h
e
i
s
no
t
caugh
t
u
p
i
n
hi
s
 
compulsion
,
 
Whack
y
 
i
s
 
a
 
ver
y
 
pleasan
t
 
guy
.
 
No
w
 
i
n
hi
s
 
mid-forties,
h
e
 
i
s
 
stil
l
 
youthfull
y
 
handsome
,
 
wit
h
 
closel
y
 
croppe
d
 
brow
n
 
hair
,
 
a
 
stron
g
 
clef
t
 
chin
,
 
an
d
 
a
 
terrible
melanchol
y
tha
t
show
s
i
n
hi
s
sa
d
blu
e
eyes
.
H
e
enjoy
s
watchin
g
televise
d
 
sportin
g
 
event
s
 
an
d
 
talk
s
 
about
th
e
 
basebal
l
 
o
r
 
footbal
l
 
standing
s
 
wheneve
r
 
I
 
se
e
 
him
.
 
O
n
 
thi
s
 
particula
r
 
occasion
,
 
however
,
 
h
e
 
di
d
 
not discus
s
th
e
Mets
,
hi
s
favorit
e
team
.
Instead
,
h
e
brough
t
u
p
th
e
subjec
t
o
f
prot.

Whack
y
 
ha
d
 
neve
r
 
see
n
 
m
y
ne
w
 
patien
t
 
a
s
 
fa
r
 
a
s
 
I
 
knew
,
 
sinc
e
 
inhabitant
s
 
o
f
 
War
d
 
Thre
e
 
ar
e
 
not
permitte
d
 
t
o
 
visi
t
 
th
e
 
othe
r
 
floors
.
 
Bu
t
 
someho
w
 
h
e
 
ha
d
 
hear
d
 
abou
t
 
a
 
visito
r
 
i
n
 
War
d
 
Tw
o
 
wh
o
 
had
com
e
fro
m
a
farawa
y
plac
e
wher
e
lif
e
wa
s
ver
y
differen
t
fro
m
ours
,
an
d
h
e
wante
d
t
o
mee
t
him
.
I
 
trie
d
 
to discourag
e
 
th
e
 
ide
a
 
b
y
 
downplayin
g
 
prot'
s
 
imaginar
y
 
travels
,
 
bu
t
 
hi
s
 
patheti
c
 
baby-blu
e
 
eye
s
 
wer
e
 
so
insisten
t
 
tha
t
 
I
 
tol
d
 
hi
m
I
 
woul
d
 
giv
e
 
th
e
 
matte
r
 
som
e
 
thought
.
 
"Bu
t
 
wh
y
 
d
o
 
yo
u
 
wan
t
 
t
o
 
mee
t
 
him?
"
 
I
inquired.

"Why
,
t
o
se
e
i
f
h
e
wil
l
tak
e
m
e
bac
k
wit
h
him
,
o
f
course!"

Th
e
 
sudde
n
 
silenc
e
 
wa
s
 
eerie-th
e
 
plac
e
 
i
s
 
usuall
y
 
on
e
 
o
f
 
nois
y
 
confusio
n
 
an
d
 
flyin
g
 
food
.
 
I
 
glanced
around
.
 
N
o
 
on
e
 
wa
s
 
wailin
g
o
r
 
gigglin
g
o
r
 
spitting
.
 
Everyon
e
 
wa
s
 
watchin
g
 
u
s
 
an
d
 
listening
.
 
I
 
mumbled somethin
g
abou
t
 
"seein
g
 
wha
t
 
I
 
coul
d
 
do.
"
 
B
y
 
th
e
 
tim
e
 
I
 
go
t
 
u
p
 
t
o
 
leave
,
 
th
e
 
whol
e
 
o
f
 
War
d
 
Thre
e
 
had
mad
e
 
i
t
 
clea
r
 
tha
t
 
the
y
 
wante
d
 
a
 
chanc
e
 
t
o
 
tak
e
 
thei
r
 
case
s
 
t
o
 
m
y
"alien
"
patient
,
 
an
d
 
i
t
 
too
k
 
m
e
 
nearly
hal
f
a
n
hou
r
t
o
cal
m
everyon
e
dow
n
an
d
mak
e
m
y
exit.

 

 

 

TALKIN
G
 
wit
h
 
Whack
y
 
alway
s
 
remind
s
 
m
e
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
awesom
e
 
powe
r
 
tha
t
 
se
x
 
ha
s
 
ove
r
 
al
l
o
f
 
us
,
 
as Freu
d
 
perceive
d
 
i
n
a
 
momen
t
 
o
f
 
tremendou
s
 
inspiratio
n
 
a
 
centur
y
 
ago
.
 
Indeed
,
 
mos
t
 
o
f
 
u
s
 
hav
e
 
sexual
problem
s
a
t
som
e
tim
e
in
,
i
f
no
t
throughout
,
ou
r
lives.

I
t
wasn'
t
unti
l
m
y
wif
e
an
d
I
ha
d
bee
n
marrie
d
fo
r
severa
l
year
s
 
tha
t
 
i
t
 
suddenl
y
 
occurre
d
 
t
o
 
m
e
 
what
m
y
fathe
r
ha
d
bee
n
doin
g
o
n
th
e
nigh
t
h
e
died
.
Th
e
realizatio
n
wa
s
s
o
intens
e
tha
t
I
leape
d
ou
t
o
f
be
d
 
and
stare
d
 
a
t
 
mysel
f
 
i
n
th
e
 
closet-doo
r
 
mirror
.
 
Wha
t
 
I
 
sa
w
 
wa
s
 
m
y
 
fathe
r
 
lookin
g
 
bac
k
 
a
t
 
me
:
 
sam
e
 
tired
eyes
,
sam
e
grayin
g
temples
,
sam
e
knobb
y
 
knees
.
 
I
t
 
wa
s
 
the
n
 
tha
t
 
I
 
understoo
d
 
wit
h
 
crysta
l
 
clarit
y
 
tha
t
 
I wa
s
a
morta
l
huma
n
being.

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