K-Pax (35 page)

Read K-Pax Online

Authors: Gene Brewer

Tags: #Fiction, #Science Fiction, #General

BOOK: K-Pax
12.16Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

snack
,
an
d
i
n
th
e
di
m
ligh
t
I
coul
d
se
e
hi
s
fingertip
s
comin
g
togethe
r
an
d
hi
s
eye
s
 
rollin
g
 
up
.
 
I
t
 
too
k
 
a
 
few
second
s
fo
r
hi
m
t
o
gathe
r
hi
s
 
thoughts
,
 
o
r
 
projec
t
 
the
m
 
ont
o
 
hi
s
 
interna
l
 
screen
,
 
o
r
 
whateve
r
 
h
e
 
di
d
 
with
them
.
 
"Well
,
 
t
o
 
begi
n
 
with
,
 
w
e
 
don'
t
 
hav
e
 
`days
'
 
i
n
 
th
e
 
sens
e
 
yo
u
 
mea
n
 
them
.
 
W
e
 
experienc
e
 
rather
dusk
y
 
ligh
t
condition
s
 
mos
t
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
time
,
 
yo
u
 
see
,
 
muc
h
 
lik
e
 
i
t
 
i
s
 
i
n
thi
s
 
roo
m
 
righ
t
 
now.
"
 
Th
e
 
las
t
 
phrase
wa
s
accompanie
d
b
y
a
ver
y
 
familia
r
 
wr
y
 
grin
.
 
"Also
,
 
KPAXian
s
 
don'
t
 
slee
p
 
a
s
 
muc
h
 
a
s
 
y'al
l
 
do
,
 
no
r
 
do
w
e
 
slee
p
 
a
t
 
regula
r
 
times
,
 
bu
t
 
onl
y
 
a
s
 
th
e
 
nee
d
 
arises.
"
 
I
 
ha
d
 
gotte
n
 
staf
f
 
report
s
 
t
o
 
thi
s
 
effec
t
 
o
n
 
prot's
sleepin
g
 
habits
.
 
H
e
 
staye
d
 
u
p
 
mos
t
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
nigh
t
 
readin
g
 
o
r
 
writin
g
 
or
,
 
apparently
,
 
jus
t
 
thinking
,
 
and
nappe
d
 
a
t
 
od
d
 
time
s
 
durin
g
 
th
e
 
day
.
 
"An
d
 
finally
,
 
K-PA
X
 
doesn'
t
 
rotat
e
 
unidirectionall
y
 
a
s
 
does
EARTH
,
 
bu
t
 
reverse
s
 
itsel
f
 
a
s
 
i
t
 
reache
s
 
th
e
 
en
d
 
o
f
 
it
s
 
cycl
e
 
ever
y
 
twenty-on
e
 
o
f
 
you
r
 
years
.
 
Thus
,
 
the
lengt
h
o
f
a
`day
'
varie
s
fro
m
 
abou
t
 
on
e
 
o
f
 
you
r
 
week
s
 
t
o
 
severa
l
 
month
s
 
a
s
 
K-PA
X
 
slow
s
 
an
d
 
reverses
it
s
spin."

A
t
thi
s
 
poin
t
 
I
 
note
d
 
dow
n
 
somethin
g
 
I
 
ha
d
 
forgotte
n
 
t
o
 
mentio
n
 
t
o
 
Steve
:
 
prot'
s
 
descriptio
n
 
o
f
 
the pat
h
o
f
K-PA
X
around
,
o
r
between
,
it
s
sun
s
didn'
t
see
m
t
o
matc
h
Dr
.
Flynn'
s
"figur
e
eight
"
pattern.

"Incidentally,
"
h
e
said
,
an
d
hi
s
eye
s
opene
d
fo
r
a
moment
,
"w
e
d
o
hav
e
 
calendar
s
 
an
d
 
clocks
,
 
though
w
e
 
rarel
y
 
us
e
 
them
.
 
O
n
 
th
e
 
othe
r
 
hand
,
 
the
y
 
neve
r
 
nee
d
 
t
o
 
b
e
 
rese
t
 
o
r
 
replaced-the
y
 
ar
e
 
th
e
 
typ
e
 
you woul
d
 
cal
l
 
`perpetual.
'
 
Bu
t
 
t
o
 
ge
t
 
bac
k
 
t
o
 
you
r
 
question
,
 
let'
s
 
sa
y
 
I
 
hav
e
 
jus
t
 
awakene
d
 
fro
m
 
a
 
little
snooze
.
 
Wha
t
woul
d
 
I
 
do
?
 
I
f
 
I
 
wer
e
 
hungr
y
 
I
 
woul
d
 
ea
t
 
something
.
 
Som
e
 
soake
d
 
grains
,
 
perhaps
,
 
and
som
e
fruit."

I
aske
d
hi
m
wha
t
h
e
mean
t
b
y
a
"soaked
"
grain
,
an
d
t
o
describ
e
som
e
K-PAXia
n
fruits.

Hi
s
eye
s
poppe
d
ope
n
agai
n
 
an
d
 
h
e
 
sa
t
 
u
p
 
straighter
;
 
h
e
 
seeme
d
 
t
o
 
relis
h
 
th
e
 
opportunit
y
 
t
o
 
explain
th
e
detail
s
o
f
hi
s
"world."

"
A
soake
d
grai
n
i
s
jus
t
wha
t
 
i
t
 
sound
s
 
like,
"
 
h
e
 
said
.
 
"Yo
u
 
soa
k
 
a
 
grai
n
 
lon
g
 
enoug
h
 
an
d
 
i
t
 
get
s
 
soft,
lik
e
you
r
 
ric
e
 
o
r
 
oatmeal
.
 
O
n
 
EART
H
 
yo
u
 
prefe
r
 
t
o
 
coo
k
 
them
.
 
W
e
 
jus
t
 
le
t
 
the
m
 
soak
,
 
usuall
y
 
i
n
 
fruit
juices
.
 
Ther
e
 
ar
e
 
twenty-on
e
 
commonl
y
 
eate
n
 
grain
s
 
o
n
 
ou
r
 
PLANET
,
 
but
,
 
lik
e
 
yours
,
 
non
e
 
i
s
 
a complet
e
 
foo
d
 
i
n
 
itself
.
 
The
y
 
hav
e
 
t
o
 
b
e
 
mixe
d
 
t
o
 
ge
t
 
th
e
 
prope
r
 
amin
o
 
aci
d
 
balance
.
 
M
y
 
favorite
combinatio
n
i
s
dra
k
an
d
tho
n
an
d
adro
.
I
t
ha
s
a
nutt
y
flavo
r
muc
h
lik
e
you
r
cashew."

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