K-Pax (28 page)
M
y
wif
e
wa
s
wonderfull
y
understandin
g
throughou
t
th
e
ensuin
g
ordeal-sh
e
i
s
a
psychiatri
c
nurse
hersel
f
-
thoug
h
sh
e
finall
y
insiste
d
I
see
k
professiona
l
hel
p
fo
r
m
y
frustratin
g
impotence
.
Th
e
onl
y
thing
tha
t
cam
e
fro
m
thi
s
wa
s
th
e
"revelation
"
tha
t
I
harbore
d
tremendou
s
guil
t
feeling
s
abou
t
m
y
father'
s
death.
Bu
t
i
t
wasn'
t
unti
l
I
finall
y
passe
d
th
e
ag
e
h
e
wa
s
whe
n
h
e
die
d
tha
t
th
e
(midlife
)
crisi
s
mercifull
y
ended
an
d
I
wa
s
abl
e
t
o
resum
e
m
y
conjuga
l
duties.
Durin
g
tha
t
miserabl
e
six-mont
h
perio
d
I
thin
k
I
hate
d
m
y
fathe
r
mor
e
tha
n
ever
.
No
t
onl
y
ha
d
he
chose
n
m
y
caree
r
fo
r
m
e
an
d
precipitate
d
a
lifelon
g
guil
t
complex
,
but
,
thirt
y
year
s
afte
r
hi
s
death
,
h
e
had
nearl
y
manage
d
t
o
rui
n
m
y
se
x
lif
e
a
s
well!
STEV
E
di
d
eve
n
bette
r
tha
n
h
e
promised
.
H
e
faxe
d
th
e
astronomica
l
data
,
includin
g
a
computerized
printou
t
o
f
a
sta
r
char
t
o
f
th
e
nigh
t
sk
y
a
s
see
n
fro
m
th
e
hypothetica
l
plane
t
K-PAX
,
directl
y
t
o
m
y
office.
Mrs
.
Trexle
r
wa
s
quit
e
amuse
d
b
y
th
e
latter
,
referrin
g
t
o
i
t
a
s
m
y
"connect-the-dots."
Arme
d
wit
h
thi
s
information
,
whic
h
pro
t
coul
d
no
t
possibl
y
hav
e
ha
d
i
n
hi
s
possession
,
I
me
t
wit
h
him
agai
n
a
t
th
e
usua
l
tim
e
o
n
Wednesday
.
O
f
cours
e
I
kne
w
h
e
coul
d
no
t
b
e
a
spac
e
travele
r
an
y
mor
e
than
ou
r
residen
t
Jesu
s
Chris
t
coul
d
hav
e
stepped-ou
t
o
f
th
e
Ne
w
Testament
.
Bu
t
I
wa
s
nonetheles
s
curious a
s
t
o
jus
t
wha
t
thi
s
ma
n
coul
d
pul
l
fro
m
th
e
recesse
s
o
f
hi
s
unpredictable
,
thoug
h
certainl
y
human
,
mind.
H
e
cam
e
int
o
m
y
examinin
g
roo
m
precede
d
b
y
hi
s
standar
d
Cheshire-ca
t
grin
.
I
wa
s
read
y
fo
r
him
wit
h
a
whol
e
baske
t
o
f
fruit
,
whic
h
h
e
du
g
int
o
wit
h
relish
.
A
s
h
e
devoure
d
thre
e
bananas
,
tw
o
oranges,
an
d
a
n
appl
e
h
e
aske
d
m
e
a
fe
w
question
s
abou
t
Erni
e
an
d
Howie
.
Mos
t
patient
s
expres
s
som
e
curiosity
abou
t
thei
r
fello
w
inmate
s
and
,
withou
t
divulgin
g
anythin
g
confidential
,
I
di
d
no
t
hesitat
e
t
o
answe
r
them.
Whe
n
I
though
t
h
e
wa
s
relaxe
d
an
d
read
y
I
turne
d
o
n
th
e
recorde
r
an
d
w
e
began.
T
o
summarize
,
h
e
kne
w
everythin
g
abou
t
th
e
newl
y
discovere
d
sta
r
system
.
Ther
e
wa
s
some
discrepanc
y
i
n
hi
s
descriptio
n
o
f
th
e
wa
y
K-PA
X
revolve
d
aroun
d
th
e
tw
o
star
s
i
t
wa
s
associated
with-h
e
claime
d
i
t
wa
s
no
t
a
figur
e
eigh
t
bu
t
somethin
g
simpler-an
d
th
e
correspondin
g
lengt
h
o
f
the
putativ
e
planet'
s
yea
r
wa
s
no
t
wha
t
Stev
e
or
,
rather
,
Dr
.
Flyn
n
ha
d
calculated
.
Bu
t
th
e
res
t
o
f
i
t
fi
t
quite
well
:
th
e
siz
e
an
d
brightnes
s
o
f
Agap
e
an
d
Sator
i
(hi
s
K-MO
N
an
d
K-RIL)
,
th
e
periodicit
y
o
f
their
rotatio
n
abou
t
eac
h
other
,
th
e
nex
t
closes
t
star
,
etc
.
O
f
cours
e
i
t
coul
d
hav
e
bee
n
a
serie
s
o
f
lucky
guesses
,
o
r
perhap
s
h
e
wa
s
readin
g
m
y
mind
,
thoug
h
th
e
test
s
showe
d
n
o
specia
l
aptitud
e
fo
r
thi
s
ability.
I
t
seeme
d
t
o
m
e
mor
e
likely
,
however
,
tha
t
thi
s
patien
t
coul
d
someho
w
divin
e
arcan
e
astronomica
l
data
muc
h
lik
e
th
e
savant
s
mentione
d
earlie
r
ca
n
mak
e
computer-lik
e
calculation
s
an
d
pul
l
hug
e
number
s
from thei
r
heads
.
Bu
t
i
t
woul
d
hav
e
bee
n
a
n
astonishin
g
fea
t
indee
d
i
f
h
e
coul
d
hav
e
constructe
d
a
pictur
e
of
th
e
nigh
t
sk
y
a
s
see
n
fro
m
th
e
plane
t
K-PAX
,
which
,
incidentally
,
Professo
r
Flyn
n
ha
d
no
w
chose
n
to
cal
l
hi
s
previousl
y
unname
d
planet
.
I
n
anticipatio
n
o
f
thi
s
resul
t
I
thin
k
I
wa
s
alread
y
contemplatin
g
the
boo
k
th
e
reade
r
i
s
no
w
holding
.
S
o
i
t
wa
s
wit
h
som
e
excitemen
t
tha
t
I
nervousl
y
watche
d
a
s
h
e
sketched
hi
s
chart
,
insistin
g
al
l
th
e
whil
e
tha
t
h
e
wasn'
t
ver
y
goo
d
a
t
freehan
d
drawing
.
I
cautione
d
hi
m
to
remembe
r
tha
t
th
e
nigh
t
sk
y
a
s
observe
d
fro
m
K-PA
X
woul
d
loo
k
quit
e
differen
t
fro
m
th
e
wa
y
i
t
does
o
n
Earth.
