K-Pax (53 page)

Read K-Pax Online

Authors: Gene Brewer

Tags: #Fiction, #Science Fiction, #General

BOOK: K-Pax
6.85Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

 

A
searc
h
o
f
th
e
buildin
g
an
d
ground
s
wa
s
initiate
d
immediatel
y
upo
n
learnin
g
tha
t
pro
t
 
ha
d
 
no
t
 
shown
u
p
fo
r
 
lunc
h
 
o
n
 
Sunday
,
 
bu
t
 
n
o
 
trac
e
 
o
f
 
hi
m
 
wa
s
 
found
.
 
N
o
 
on
e
 
ha
d
 
see
n
 
hi
m
 
leav
e
 
th
e
 
hospital
,
 
and
non
e
o
f
th
e
securit
y
tape
s
showe
d
hi
m
passin
g
throug
h
an
y
locke
d
door
s
o
r
gates.

Hi
s
roo
m
 
provide
d
 
n
o
 
clu
e
 
a
s
 
t
o
 
wher
e
 
h
e
 
migh
t
hav
e
 
gone
.
 
A
s
 
alway
s
 
th
e
 
be
d
 
wa
s
 
mad
e
 
an
d
 
his

des
k
an
d
dresse
r
wer
e
uncluttered
.
Ther
e
wasn'
t
eve
n
a
scra
p
o
f
pape
r
i
n
hi
s
wastebasket.

Non
e
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
patient
s
 
woul
d
 
admi
t
 
t
o
 
havin
g
 
an
y
 
knowledg
e
 
o
f
 
prot'
s
 
whereabouts
,
 
ye
t
 
non
e
 
was
particularl
y
 
surprise
d
 
tha
t
 
h
e
 
wa
s
 
gone
.
 
Whe
n
 
I
 
aske
d
 
Chuc
k
 
abou
t
 
i
t
 
h
e
 
replied
,
 
"Don'
t
 
worry-he'l
l
 
be
back."

"Ho
w
d
o
yo
u
kno
w
that?"

"Becaus
e
h
e
too
k
hi
s
dar
k
glasse
s
wit
h
him."

"Wha
t
ha
s
tha
t
go
t
t
o
d
o
wit
h
it?"

"Whe
n
h
e
return
s
t
o
K-PA
X
h
e
won'
t
nee
d
them.."

Som
e
day
s
late
r
a
maintenanc
e
worke
r
reporte
d
tha
t
som
e
o
f
th
e
item
s
i
n
th
e
storag
e
tunne
l
ha
d
been
shifte
d
around
.
Whethe
r
pro
t
ha
d
bee
n
hidin
g
there
,
however
,
wa
s
neve
r
determined.

 

FO
R
hi
s
 
firs
t
 
twenty-seve
n
 
year
s
 
Russel
l
 
neve
r
 
sa
w
 
anothe
r
 
huma
n
 
bein
g
 
excep
t
 
fo
r
 
hi
s
 
mothe
r
 
and
father
.
 
Hi
s
schoolin
g
consiste
d
exclusivel
y
o
f
Bibl
e
reading
,
fou
r
hour
s
ever
y
mornin
g
an
d
 
evening
.
 
There
wa
s
 
n
o
 
radio
,
 
an
d
 
n
o
 
on
e
 
eve
r
 
cam
e
 
u
p
 
th
e
 
lon
g
 
drivewa
y
 
becaus
e
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
mu
d
 
an
d
 
th
e
 
Doberman
pinschers
.
I
n
th
e
afternoon
s
h
e
wa
s
expecte
d
t
o
wor
k
i
n
th
e
garde
n
o
r
hel
p
wit
h
 
th
e
 
chores
.
 
Thi
s
 
isolated
existenc
e
 
continue
d
 
unti
l
a
 
determine
d
 
censu
s
 
worker
,
 
wh
o
 
als
o
 
bre
d
 
Dobermans
,
 
stumble
d
 
upo
n
 
him
accidentall
y
 
whil
e
 
hi
s
 
fathe
r
 
wa
s
 
a
t
 
th
e
 
hardwar
e
 
stor
e
 
an
d
 
hi
s
 
mothe
r
 
i
n
th
e
 
bac
k
 
yar
d
 
hangin
g
 
ou
t
 
the
wash
.
Afte
r
 
h
e
 
chase
d
 
th
e
 
astonishe
d
 
woma
n
 
dow
n
 
th
e
 
drivewa
y
 
shouting
,
 
"Mar
y
 
Magdelene
,
 
I
 
forgive
you!
"
sh
e
reporte
d
th
e
matte
r
t
o
th
e
authorities.

Psychotherap
y
wa
s
completel
y
ineffectiv
e
i
n
Russell'
s
case
,
 
an
d
 
Metrazol
e
 
shoc
k
 
therap
y
 
barel
y
 
less
so
.
 
 
Nevertheless
,
 
h
e
 
wa
s
 
returne
d
 
t
o
 
hi
s
 
parents
.
 
Th
e
 
youn
g
 
delusiona
l
 
soo
n
 
escape
d
 
fro
m
 
th
e
 
farm,
however
,
onl
y
t
o
b
e
arreste
d
a
s
a
"publi
c
nuisance.
"
Afte
r
tha
t
h
e
wa
s
i
n
an
d
ou
t
 
o
f
 
jail
s
 
an
d
 
hospital
s
 
for severa
l
year
s
unti
l
h
e
wa
s
finall
y
brough
t
t
o
MPI
,
wher
e
h
e
ha
s
remaine
d
t
o
thi
s
day.

Neithe
r
Howie
,
wh
o
i
s
 
Jewish
,
 
no
r
 
Mrs
.
 
Arche
r
 
("I'
m
 
Episcopalian,
"
 
sh
e
 
woul
d
 
sniff
)
 
hav
e
 
eve
r
 
had
muc
h
us
e
fo
r
Russell
.
Bu
t
wit
h
hi
s
retinu
e
shrinkin
g
rapidly-onl
y
Maria
,
an
d
a
fe
w
o
f
he
r
alters
,
seeme
d
 
to
b
e
 
payin
g
 
an
y
 
attentio
n
 
t
o
 
him-h
e
 
bega
n
 
t
o
 
preac
h
 
th
e
 
gospe
l
 
t
o
 
Howi
e
 
an
d
 
t
o
 
th
e
 
Duchess
,
 
wh
o
 
had
begu
n
t
o
emerg
e
fro
m
he
r
roo
m
o
n
occasio
n
t
o
spea
k
wit
h
prot.

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