K-Pax (55 page)
A
s
goo
d
a
reaso
n
fo
r
livin
g
a
s
any
,
I
suppose
,
an
d
perhap
s
i
t
explain
s
wh
y
s
o
fe
w
peopl
e
hav
e
ever
finishe
d
tha
t
book.
I
N
th
e
mids
t
o
f
al
l
th
e
furo
r
surroundin
g
prot'
s
disappearance
,
th
e
reporte
r
wh
o
ha
d
calle
d
m
e
the previou
s
wee
k
arrived
,
hal
f
a
n
hou
r
early
,
fo
r
he
r
appointment
.
Sh
e
wa
s
olde
r
tha
n
sh
e
appeared,
thirty-three
,
sh
e
said
,
thoug
h
sh
e
looke
d
mor
e
lik
e
sixteen
.
Sh
e
wor
e
fade
d
jeans
,
a
n
ol
d
checke
d
shirt,
an
d
runnin
g
shoe
s
wit
h
n
o
socks
.
M
y
firs
t
impressio
n
wa
s
tha
t
freelanc
e
writin
g
mus
t
b
e
a
poorl
y
paid profession
,
bu
t
I
eventuall
y
cam
e
t
o
realiz
e
tha
t
sh
e
dresse
d
thi
s
wa
y
fo
r
effect-t
o
induc
e
peopl
e
t
o
fee
l
at
ease
.
T
o
tha
t
en
d
sh
e
als
o
wor
e
littl
e
makeup
,
an
d
onl
y
a
hin
t
o
f
perfum
e
tha
t
someho
w
brough
t
t
o
mind
ou
r
summe
r
plac
e
i
n
th
e
Adirondacks
.
"Pin
e
woods,
"
I
woul
d
hav
e
calle
d
it
.
Sh
e
wa
s
short
,
about
five-two
,
an
d
he
r
teet
h
wer
e
tiny
,
lik
e
a
littl
e
girl's
.
Disarmingly
,
sh
e
curle
d
u
p
int
o
th
e
chai
r
I
offered
.
She
aske
d
m
e
t
o
cal
l
he
r
Giselle.
Sh
e
cam
e
fro
m
a
littl
e
tow
n
i
n
norther
n
Ohio
.
Afte
r
graduatin
g
wit
h
a
degre
e
i
n
journalis
m
fro
m
the
loca
l
colleg
e
sh
e
cam
e
directl
y
t
o
Ne
w
York
,
wher
e
sh
e
go
t
a
jo
b
o
n
th
e
now-defunc
t
Weekl
y
Gazette.
Sh
e
staye
d
ther
e
nearl
y
eigh
t
year
s
befor
e
writin
g
a
n
articl
e
o
n
drug
s
an
d
AID
S
i
n
Harlem
,
whic
h
won
he
r
th
e
Cassad
y
prize
.
I
aske
d
he
r
abou
t
th
e
danger
s
sh
e
mus
t
hav
e
face
d
researchin
g
tha
t
story
.
A
friend
ha
d
accompanie
d
her
,
sh
e
explained
,
a
n
ex-footbal
l
playe
r
who
m
everyon
e
i
n
th
e
are
a
knew
.
"H
e
was
huge,
"
sh
e
adde
d
wit
h
a
co
y
smile.
Sh
e
late
r
qui
t
th
e
Gazett
e
t
o
researc
h
an
d
writ
e
piece
s
o
n
a
variet
y
o
f
subjects-abortion
,
oi
l
spills, an
d
homelessness-fo
r
variou
s
periodicals
,
includin
g
severa
l
majo
r
newspaper
s
an
d
nationa
l
magazines.
Sh
e
ha
d
als
o
writte
n
script
s
fo
r
a
numbe
r
o
f
T
V
documentaries
.
Sh
e
ha
d
gotte
n
th
e
ide
a
t
o
d
o
something
o
n
menta
l
illnes
s
afte
r
tryin
g
t
o
fin
d
backgroun
d
materia
l
o
n
Alzheimer'
s
diseas
e
an
d
failin
g
t
o
fin
d
a
good
generalize
d
accoun
t
o
f
th
e
subjec
t
"i
n
layperson'
s
language.
"
He
r
credential
s
wer
e
certainl
y
impressive,
an
d
I
gav
e
he
r
th
e
go-ahea
d
t
o
"cruis
e
th
e
corridors,
"
a
s
sh
e
pu
t
it
,
provide
d
tha
t
sh
e
wa
s
accompanied
b
y
a
staf
f
membe
r
a
t
al
l
times
,
an
d
tha
t
sh
e
ente
r
th
e
psycho-pathi
c
war
d
fo
r
n
o
mor
e
tha
n
three one-hou
r
visit
s
an
d
onl
y
i
n
th
e
presenc
e
o
f
a
securit
y
officer
.
Sh
e
cheerfull
y
agree
d
t
o
abid
e
b
y
these
conditions
.
Nevertheles
s
I
aske
d
Bett
y
t
o
kee
p
a
n
ey
e
o
n
her.
