K-Pax (45 page)

Read K-Pax Online

Authors: Gene Brewer

Tags: #Fiction, #Science Fiction, #General

BOOK: K-Pax
2.96Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

I
ha
d
 
a
 
hunc
h
 
I
 
wa
s
 
o
n
 
t
o
 
somethin
g
 
here
.
 
"Bu
t
 
i
f
 
someon
e
 
di
d
 
commi
t
 
a
 
crime
,
 
shouldn'
t
 
suc
h
 
a
person-uh
,
being-b
e
locke
d
u
p
fo
r
th
e
goo
d
o
f
everyon
e
else?"

pro
t
wa
s
clearl
y
becomin
g
irate
.
 
"Le
t
 
m
e
 
tel
l
 
yo
u
 
something
,
 
doc,
"
 
h
e
 
almos
t
 
snarled
.
 
"Mos
t
 
humans
subscrib
e
t
o
th
e
polic
y
o
f
 
`a
n
 
ey
e
 
fo
r
 
a
n
 
eye
,
 
a
 
lif
e
fo
r
 
a
 
life.
'
 
Man
y
 
o
f
 
you
r
 
religion
s
 
ar
e
 
famou
s
 
fo
r
 
this formula
,
whic
h
 
i
s
 
wel
l
 
know
n
 
throughou
t
 
th
e
 
UNIVERS
E
 
fo
r
 
it
s
 
stupidity
.
 
You
r
 
chris
t
 
an
d
 
you
r
 
buddha
ha
d
 
a
 
differen
t
 
vision
,
 
bu
t
 
nobod
y
 
pai
d
 
an
y
 
attentio
n
 
t
o
 
them
,
 
no
t
 
eve
n
 
th
e
 
christian
s
 
an
d
 
buddhists
.
 
On
K-PA
X
ther
e
i
s
n
o
crime
,
yo
u
dig
?
An
d
 
i
f
ther
e
 
were
,
 
ther
e
 
woul
d
 
b
e
 
n
o
 
punishment
.
 
Apparentl
y
 
thi
s
 
is
impossibl
e
 
fo
r
 
EART
H
 
being
s
 
t
o
 
understand
,
 
bu
t
 
it'
s
 
th
e
 
secre
t
 
o
f
 
life
,
 
believ
e
 
me!
"
 
B
y
 
no
w
 
prot'
s
 
eyes wer
e
 
buggin
g
 
an
d
 
hi
s
 
breathin
g
 
wa
s
 
hard
.
 
I
 
sense
d
 
i
t
 
wa
s
 
tim
e
 
t
o
 
en
d
 
th
e
 
day'
s
 
session
,
 
i
f
 
somewhat
prematurely.

"
I
admi
t
 
yo
u
 
hav
e
 
a
 
poin
t
 
there
.
 
An
d
 
b
y
 
th
e
 
way
,
 
I'
m
 
afrai
d
 
I'
m
 
goin
g
 
t
o
 
hav
e
 
t
o
 
cu
t
 
ou
r
 
sessio
n
 
a
littl
e
 
shor
t
 
today
.
 
I
 
hop
e
 
yo
u
 
don'
t
 
mind
.
 
I
 
hav
e
 
a
n
 
importan
t
 
meetin
g
 
whic
h
 
couldn'
t
 
b
e
 
rescheduled.
Woul
d
i
t
b
e
al
l
righ
t
wit
h
yo
u
i
f
w
e
continu
e
wit
h
thi
s
nex
t
week?"

Calme
r
now
,
bu
t
no
t
much
:
"Perfectly.
"
Withou
t
anothe
r
wor
d
h
e
go
t
u
p
an
d
stalke
d
out.

I
sa
t
 
i
n
m
y
examinin
g
 
roo
m
 
fo
r
 
a
 
fe
w
 
minute
s
 
afte
r
 
h
e
 
ha
d
 
gone
,
 
thinking
.
 
Unti
l
 
tha
t
 
momen
t
 
I
 
had
see
n
n
o
evidenc
e
o
f
anger
,
an
d
 
rarel
y
 
eve
n
 
a
 
frown
,
 
i
n
thi
s
 
patient
.
 
No
w
 
i
t
 
appeare
d
 
tha
t
 
jus
t
 
belo
w
 
the
surfac
e
 
la
y
 
a
 
seethin
g
 
cauldron
,
 
a
 
volcan
o
 
tha
t
 
coul
d
 
erup
t
 
a
t
 
an
y
 
time
.
 
Ha
d
 
i
t
 
erupte
d
 
i
n
 
th
e
 
past?
Hysterica
l
 
amnesi
a
 
sometime
s
 
result
s
 
fro
m
 
a
 
violen
t
 
an
d
 
irreversibl
e
 
act
.
 
Ha
d
 
prot
,
 
i
n
 
fact
,
 
killed
someone
,
possibl
y
o
n
Augus
t
17
,
1985
?
A
s
a
precaution
,
shoul
d
I
hav
e
hi
m
transferre
d
t
o
War
d
Four?

I
decide
d
agains
t
th
e
latte
r
move
,
whic
h
migh
t
hav
e
drive
n
hi
m deepe
r
int
o
hi
s
seemingl
y
impenetrable
shell
.
Besides
,
al
l
thi
s
wa
s
pur
e
speculatio
n
a
t
 
thi
s
 
point
.
 
An
d
 
eve
n
 
i
f
correct
,
 
h
e
 
wa
s
 
unlikel
y
 
t
o
 
become
violen
t
 
unles
s
 
w
e
 
mad
e
 
substantia
l
 
progres
s
 
towar
d
 
unravelin
g
 
hi
s
 
pas
t
 
actions
,
 
th
e
 
precipitant
s
 
o
f
 
his
amnesia
,
 
a
 
developmen
t
 
I
 
welcomed
.
 
Nevertheless
,
 
I
 
woul
d
 
notif
y
 
th
e
 
staf
f
 
an
d
 
securit
y
 
offic
e
 
o
f
 
the
potentia
l
 
problem
,
 
hav
e
 
hi
m
 
watche
d
 
mor
e
 
closely
,
 
an
d
 
conduc
t
 
subsequen
t
 
interview
s
 
wit
h
 
greater
caution
.
I
decide
d
als
o
t
o
notif
y
th
e
polic
e
departmen
t
abou
t
a
possibl
e
violen
t
altercatio
n
som
e
fiv
e
years
earlier
,
hopin
g
i
t
woul
d
hel
p
the
m
t
o
trac
k
hi
m
down
,
somethin
g
ou
r
previou
s
clue
s
ha
d
faile
d
t
o
do.

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