K-Pax (30 page)
Th
e
candidate
,
who
m
I
shal
l
cal
l
Dr
.
Choate
,
exhibite
d
a
rathe
r
peculia
r
mannerism-h
e
continually
checke
d
hi
s
fly
,
presumabl
y
t
o
mak
e
sur
e
i
t
wa
s
closed
.
Quit
e
unconsciously
,
i
t
appeared
,
sinc
e
h
e
di
d
it
i
n
th
e
conferenc
e
room
,
i
n
th
e
dinin
g
room
,
i
n
th
e
wards
,
wit
h
wome
n
presen
t
o
r
not
.
An
d
hi
s
specialty
wa
s
huma
n
sexuality
!
I
t
ha
s
bee
n
sai
d
tha
t
al
l
psychiatrist
s
ar
e
a
littl
e
crazy
.
Dr
.
Choat
e
di
d
nothin
g
to
dispe
l
tha
t
canard.
I too
k
th
e
candidat
e
t
o
Asti
,
a
lowe
r
Manhatta
n
restauran
t
wher
e
th
e
proprieto
r
an
d
hi
s
waiter
s
are
ap
t
t
o
brea
k
int
o
a
n
ari
a
a
t
th
e
dro
p
o
f
a
for
k
an
d
encourag
e
thei
r
patron
s
t
o
d
o
likewise
.
Bu
t
Choate
ha
d
n
o
interes
t
i
n
musi
c
an
d
finishe
d
hi
s
mea
l
i
n
rathe
r
glu
m
silence
.
I
ha
d
a
lovel
y
time
,
however
,
catching
a
flyin
g
doughbal
l
i
n
m
y
teet
h
an
d
singin
g
th
e
par
t
o
f
Nadi
r
i
n
th
e
lovel
y
due
t
fro
m
Th
e
Pear
l
Fishers
,
and
stil
l
mad
e
th
e
9:1
0
t
o
Connecticut
.
Whe
n
I
go
t
home
,
m
y
wif
e
tol
d
m
e
Stev
e
ha
d
called
.
I
ran
g
hi
m
back
immediately.
"Prett
y
amazin
'
stuff!
"
h
e
exclaimed.
"Why?
"
I
said
.
"Hi
s
drawin
g
didn'
t
loo
k
a
thin
g
lik
e
yours"
"Yes
,
Al
i
know
.
Al
i
though
t
you
r
ma
n
ha
d
jus
t
concocte
d
somethin
'
ou
t
o
f
hi
s
head
,
a
t
first
.
The
n
Ali
sa
w
wher
e
h
e
ha
d
pu
t
i
n
th
e
arro
w
indicatin
'
th
e
positio
n
o
f
th
e
Earth."
"So?"
"Th
e
char
t
Al
i
gav
e
yo
u
wa
s
fo
r
th
e
sk
y
a
s
see
n
fro
m
Earth
,
excep
t
tha
t
i
t
wa
s
transpose
d
seven thousan
d
lightyear
s
awa
y
t
o
th
e
plane
t
h
e
call
s
K-PAX
.
D
o
yo
u
se
e
wha
t
Ah'
m
sayin'
?
Lookin
'
back
her
e
fro
m
there
,
th
e
sk
y
woul
d
appea
r
entirel
y
different
.
S
o
I
wen
t
bac
k
t
o
m
y
computer
,
an
d
voila!
Ther
e
wa
s
th
e
N
constellation
,
th
e
questio
n
mark
,
th
e
smile
,
th
e
eyebal
l
cluster-al
l
wher
e
h
e
sai
d
they'd
be
.
Thi
s
i
s
a
joke
,
idn
'
it
?
Al
i
kno
w
Charli
e
pu
t
yo
u
u
p
t
o
this!"
Tha
t
nigh
t
I
ha
d
a
dream
.
I
wa
s
floatin
g
aroun
d
i
n
spac
e
an
d
utterl
y
lost
.
N
o
matte
r
whic
h
directio
n
I
turned
,
th
e
star
s
looke
d
exactl
y
th
e
sam
e
t
o
me
.
Ther
e
wa
s
n
o
familia
r
sun
,
n
o
-moon
,
no
t
eve
n
a
recognizabl
e
constellation
.
I
wante
d
t
o
g
o
hom
e
bu
t
I
ha
d
n
o
ide
a
whic
h
wa
y
i
t
was
.
I
wa
s
afraid,
terrifie
d
tha
t
I
wa
s
al
l
alon
e
i
n
th
e
universe
.
Suddenl
y
I
sa
w
prot
.
H
e
wa
s
motionin
g
tha
t
I
shoul
d
follow
him
.
Greatl
y
relieved
,
I
di
d
so
.
A
s
w
e
proceede
d
h
e
pointe
d
ou
t
th
e
eyebal
l
cluste
r
an
d
al
l
th
e
rest
,
an
d
at
las
t
I
kne
w
wher
e
I
was.
