K-Pax (49 page)

Read K-Pax Online

Authors: Gene Brewer

Tags: #Fiction, #Science Fiction, #General

BOOK: K-Pax
13.69Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

 

 

 

Sessio
n
Seven

 

BECAUS
E
o
f
wha
t
ha
d
happene
d
a
t
th
e
en
d
o
f
ou
r
previou
s
encounte
r
I
 
aske
d
 
Mr
.
 
Jense
n
 
an
d
 
Mr.
Kowalsk
i
 
t
o
 
stan
d
 
b
y
 
durin
g
 
sessio
n
 
seven
.
 
However
,
 
pro
t
 
seeme
d
 
i
n
 
unusuall
y
 
goo
d
 
spirit
s
 
a
s
 
he
chompe
d
o
n
a
pineapple
.
"Ho
w
wa
s
you
r
meeting?
"
h
e
sai
d
wit
h
hi
s
familia
r
grin.

I
t
too
k
m
e
a
momen
t
t
o
figur
e
ou
t
wha
t
thi
s
meant
,
bu
t
I
finall
y
remembere
d
th
e
"importan
t
 
meeting
"
 
I
ha
d
dismisse
d
hi
m
wit
h
a
t
th
e
en
d
o
f
sessio
n
six
.
 
I
 
tol
d
 
hi
m
i
t
 
ha
d
 
gon
e
 
well
.
 
H
e
 
seeme
d
 
please
d
 
t
o
 
hear
this
.
 
O
r
 
wa
s
 
i
t
 
a
 
smirk
?
 
I
n
 
an
y
 
cas
e
 
th
e
 
cloc
k
 
wa
s
 
movin
g
 
an
d
 
I
 
turne
d
 
o
n
 
th
e
 
tap
e
 
recorder
.
 
I
 
also
switche
d
o
n
m
y
backu
p
machine
,
thi
s
on
e
t
o
 
pla
y
 
bac
k
 
a
 
Schuber
t
 
son
g
 
I
 
ha
d
 
recorde
d
 
earlier
.
 
Whe
n
 
it
wa
s
finished
,
I
 
aske
d
 
hi
m
t
o
 
sin
g
 
i
t
 
bac
k
 
t
o
 
me
.
 
H
e
 
couldn'
t
 
eve
n
 
hu
m
th
e
 
firs
t
 
phrase
.
 
Obviousl
y
 
music
wasn'
t
on
e
o
f
hi
s
 
talents
.
 
No
r
 
wa
s
 
sculpture
.
 
I
 
aske
d
 
hi
m
t
o
 
creat
e
 
a
 
huma
n
 
hea
d
 
wit
h
 
a
 
piec
e
 
o
f
 
cla
y
 
-
th
e
 
resul
t
 
looke
d
 
mor
e
 
lik
e
 
Mr
.
 
Peanut
.
 
H
e
 
couldn'
t
 
eve
n
 
dra
w
 
a
 
hous
e
 
o
r
 
a
 
tree
.
 
Everythin
g
 
cam
e
 
out
lookin
g
lik
e
th
e
wor
k
o
f
a
third-grader.

Al
l
o
f
this
,
however
,
too
k
u
p
hal
f
ou
r
session
.
"Okay,
"
I
said
,
somewha
t
disappointedly
,
"las
t
 
tim
e
 
we
talke
d
abou
t
medicin
e
o
n
K-PAX
,
o
r
th
e
lac
k
o
f
it
.
Tel
l
m
e
abou
t
you
r
scienc
e
i
n
general."

"Wha
t
woul
d
yo
u
lik
e
t
o
know?"

"Wh
o
doe
s
i
t
an
d
ho
w
i
s
i
t
i
s
done
?
Ar
e
there
,
i
n
fact
,
an
y
scientists?"

"W
e
ar
e
al
l
scientist
s
o
n
K-PAX."

"
I
kne
w
yo
u
wer
e
goin
g
t
o
sa
y
that."

"Mos
t
 
huma
n
 
being
s
 
I'v
e
 
me
t
 
hav
e
 
a
 
rathe
r
 
negativ
e
 
opinio
n
 
o
f
 
science
.
 
The
y
 
thin
k
 
i
t
 
i
s
 
dul
l
 
and
abstruse
,
 
possibl
y
 
eve
n
 
dangerous
.
 
Bu
t
 
everyone
,
 
eve
n
 
o
n
 
EARTH
,
 
i
s
 
a
 
scientist
,
 
really
,
 
whethe
r
 
he realize
s
 
i
t
 
o
r
 
not
.
 
Anyon
e
 
wh
o
 
ha
s
 
eve
r
 
watche
d
 
an
d
 
wondere
d
 
ho
w
 
a
 
bir
d
 
flies
,
 
o
r
 
a
 
lea
f
 
unfurls
,
 
or
conclude
d
anythin
g
o
n
th
e
basi
s
o
f
hi
s
ow
n
observations
,
i
s
a
scientist
.
Scienc
e
i
s
a
par
t
o
f
life."

"Well
,
ar
e
ther
e
an
y
forma
l
laboratorie
s
o
n
K-PAX?"

"The
y
 
ar
e
 
par
t
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
libraries
.
 
O
f
 
cours
e
 
th
e
 
whol
e
 
UNIVERS
E
 
i
s
 
a
 
laboratory
.
 
Anyon
e
 
can
observe."

"Wha
t
sort
s
o
f
scientifi
c
observation
s
d
o
K-PAXian
s
usuall
y
carr
y
out?"

"Ever
y
specie
s
no
w
livin
g
o
n
ou
r
PLANET
,
o
r
 
tha
t
 
eve
r
 
live
d
 
there
,
 
o
r
 
o
n
 
severa
l
 
othe
r
 
PLANETS,
i
s
catalogue
d
 
an
d
 
thoroughl
y
 
described
.
 
Th
e
 
sam
e
 
fo
r
 
th
e
 
rocks
,
 
geologica
l
 
formations
,
 
fo
r
 
th
e
 
STARS
an
d
othe
r
ASTRONOMICA
L
 
OBJECTS
.
 
Ever
y
 
medicina
l
 
her
b
 
an
d
 
wha
t
 
i
t
 
ca
n
 
d
o
 
i
s
 
indexed
.
 
Al
l
this
fro
m
million
s
an
d
million
s
o
f
year
s
o
f
observin
g
an
d
recording."

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