K-Pax (42 page)
Eventuall
y
th
e
bluebir
d
fle
w
awa
y
an
d
everythin
g
settle
d
bac
k
t
o
normal
,
o
r
almos
t
so
.
O
r
wa
s
there
a
subtl
e
change
?
A
gossame
r
threa
d
o
f
something-hope
,
maybe?-ha
d
bee
n
lef
t
b
y
th
e
bird
,
an
d
someone
rushe
d
ou
t
t
o
retriev
e
it
.
I
t
wa
s
s
o
fin
e
that
,
afte
r
i
t
ha
d
drie
d
out
,
n
o
on
e
coul
d
actuall
y
se
e
it
,
excep
t
for
prot
,
perhaps
.
I
t
remain
s
i
n
War
d
Tw
o
today
,
passe
d
invisibl
y
fro
m
patien
t
t
o
patien
t
a
s
a
sor
t
o
f
talisman
t
o
alleviat
e
depressio
n
an
d
replac
e
i
t
wit
h
hop
e
an
d
goo
d
cheer
.
And
,
amazingly
,
i
t
ofte
n
works.
Sessio
n
Six
M
Y
nex
t
sessio
n
wit
h
pro
t
too
k
plac
e
th
e
followin
g
afternoon
.
Smilin
g
profusel
y
whe
n
h
e
cam
e
into
m
y
examinin
g
room
,
h
e
hande
d
m
e
wha
t
h
e
calle
d
a
"calendar.
"
I
t
wa
s
i
n
th
e
for
m
o
f
a
scroll
,
an
d
so
complicate
d
tha
t
I
coul
d
mak
e
littl
e
sens
e
o
f
it
.
Bu
t
I
thanke
d
hi
m
an
d
motione
d
t
o
th
e
baske
t
o
f
frui
t
on
th
e
sid
e
tabl
e
b
y
hi
s
chair.
I
waite
d
t
o
se
e
i
f
h
e
woul
d
brin
g
u
p
th
e
subjec
t
o
f
Howi
e
an
d
th
e
bluebird
,
bu
t
h
e
neve
r
mentione
d
it.
Whe
n
I
finall
y
aske
d
hi
m
abou
t
i
t
h
e
bi
t
int
o
a
cantaloup
e
an
d
shrugged
.
"I
t
ha
d
bee
n
ther
e
al
l
th
e
time,
bu
t
nobod
y
ha
d
looke
d
fo
r
it.
"
I
didn'
t
mentio
n
th
e
large
r
issu
e
o
f
hi
s
assignin
g
"tasks
"
t
o
th
e
patients
.
As
lon
g
a
s
th
e
result
s
wer
e
positive
,
I
decide
d
t
o
allo
w
i
t
fo
r
th
e
tim
e
being.
Afte
r
h
e
ha
d
finishe
d
th
e
las
t
kiwi
,
fuz
z
an
d
all
,
I
turne
d
o
n
th
e
tap
e
recorder
.
"I'
d
lik
e
t
o
follo
w
u
p
on
somethin
g
yo
u
tol
d
m
e
earlier."
"Wh
y
not?"
"
I
believ
e
yo
u
sai
d
ther
e
i
s
n
o
governmen
t
o
n
K-PAX
,
an
d
n
o
on
e
works
.
I
s
tha
t
right?"
"Quoi
t
roit
,
guvnuh."
"
I
mus
t
b
e
dense
.
I
stil
l
don'
t
understan
d
ho
w
thing
s
ge
t
done
.
Wh
o
build
s
th
e
librarie
s
an
d
make
s
all
th
e
equipmen
t
fo
r
the
m
an
d
install
s
i
t
an
d
run
s
it
?
Wh
o
make
s
al
l
th
e
holographi
c
software
,
i
f
that'
s
the
prope
r
terminology
?
Wh
o
make
s
you
r
eatin
g
utensil
s
an
d
you
r
clothes
?
Wh
o
plant
s
th
e
grains
?
What abou
t
al
l
th
e
othe
r
thing
s
tha
t
yo
u
surel
y
nee
d
an
d
us
e
o
n
K-PAX?"
pro
t
smacke
d
hi
s
forehea
d
wit
h
th
e
pal
m
o
f
hi
s
han
d
an
d
muttered
,
"Mam
a
mia.
"
Then
,
"Al
l
right
.
Let
m
e
se
e
i
f
I
ca
n
mak
e
i
t
complicate
d
enoug
h
fo
r
yo
u
t
o
understand.
"
H
e
leane
d
forwar
d
i
n
hi
s
chai
r
and
fixe
d
m
e
wit
h
hi
s
penetratin
g
blac
k
gaze
,
a
s
h
e
di
d
wheneve
r
h
e
wante
d
t
o
mak
e
sur
e
I
wa
s
paying
attention
.
"I
n
th
e
firs
t
place
,
w
e
hardl
y
eve
r
wea
r
an
y
clothin
g
o
n
K-PAX
.
Excep
t
onc
e
eac
h
cycle-every twenty-on
e
o
f
you
r
years-whe
n
w
e
hav
e
som
e
col
d
weather
.
An
d
nobod
y
plant
s
th
e
grains
.
Yo
u
leave
the
m
alon
e
an
d
the
y
plan
t
themselves
.
A
s
fo
r
th
e
libraries
,
i
f
somethin
g
need
s
t
o
b
e
done
,
someon
e
does
it
,
capisci
?
Thi
s
goe
s
fo
r
everythin
g
yo
u
woul
d
cal
l
`good
s
an
d
services.
'
No
w
d
o
yo
u
ge
t
it?"
"Surel
y
ther
e
ar
e
job
s
n
o
on
e
want
s
t
o
do
.
Har
d
labor
,
fo
r
example
,
o
r
cleanin
g
publi
c
toilets
.
That's
onl
y
huma
n
nature."
"Ther
e
ar
e
n
o
human
s
o
n
K-PAX."
I
glare
d
bac
k
a
t
him
.
"O
h
yes
,
I
forgot."
"Besides
,
ther
e
i
s
nothin
g
tha
t
need
s
t
o
b
e
don
e
tha
t
i
s
reall
y
unpleasant
.
Look
.
Yo
u
defecate
,
don't
you?"
"No
t
a
s
ofte
n
a
s
I'
d
like."
"D
o
yo
u
fin
d
i
t
unpleasant?"
"Somewhat."
"D
o
yo
u
ge
t
someon
e
t
o
d
o
i
t
fo
r
you?"
"
I
woul
d
i
f
I
could."
"Bu
t
yo
u
don't
,
an
d
yo
u
don'
t
thin
k
twic
e
abou
t
it
.
Yo
u
jus
t
d
o
it
.
An
d
i
t
doe
s
hav
e
it
s
rewards,
right?"
Th
e
tap
e
indicate
s
tha
t
I
chuckle
d
here
.
"Okay
.
Ther
e
ar
e
n
o
undesirabl
e
jobs
.
Bu
t
wha
t
abou
t
the
othe
r
sid
e
o
f
th
e
coin
?
Wha
t
abou
t
th
e
specialt
y
job
s
tha
t
tak
e
a
lo
t
o
f
training
?
Lik
e
medicine
.
O
r
law.
Wh
o
doe
s
those?"
"W
e
hav
e
n
o
laws
,
therefor
e
n
o
lawyers
.
A
s
fo
r
th
e
former
,
everyon
e
practice
s
medicine
,
so;
,
in
general
,
ther
e
i
s
n
o
nee
d
fo
r
doctors
,
either
.
O
f
cours
e
ther
e
ar
e
som
e
wh
o
ar
e
mor
e
intereste
d
i
n
such
matter
s
tha
n
ar
e
others
,
an
d
the
y
ar
e
availabl
e
wheneve
r
anybod
y
need
s
them
.
Fo
r
surgery
,
primarily-"
