K-Pax (57 page)

"Ver
y
well
,
than
k
you
.
An
d
ho
w
hav
e
yo
u
been
,
narr?"

"Nam"

"Gene
,
o
n
K-PAX
,
i
s
`nary'.
"
I
t
rhyme
d
wit
h
"hair."

"
I
see
.
I
s
tha
t
fro
m
th
e
French
,
meanin
g
`t
o
confess'?"

"No
,
i
t
i
s
fro
m
th
e
pax-o
,
meanin
g
`on
e
wh
o
doubts.'"

"Oh
.
An
d
wha
t
woul
d
`prot
'
b
e
i
n
English-on
e
wh
o
i
s
cocksure?"

"Nope
.
`prot
'
i
s
derive
d
fro
m
a
n
ancien
t
K-PAXia
n
wor
d
fo
r
`sojourner.
'
Believ
e
i
t
o
r
no
t
b
y
ripley."

"I
f
 
I
 
aske
d
 
yo
u
 
t
o
 
translat
e
 
somethin
g
 
fro
m
 
Englis
h
 
t
o
 
pax-
o
 
fo
r
 
me
,
 
somethin
g
 
lik
e
 
Hamlet
,
 
for example
,
coul
d
yo
u
d
o
it?"

"O
f
course
.
Whe
n
woul
d
yo
u
lik
e
t
o
hav
e
it?"

"Wheneve
r
yo
u
ca
n
ge
t
t
o
it."

"Nex
t
wee
k
okay?"

"Fine
.
No
w
then
.
We'v
e
talke
d
 
quit
e
 
a
 
bi
t
 
abou
t
 
th
e
 
science
s
 
o
n
 
K-PAX
.
 
Tel
l
 
m
e
 
abou
t
 
th
e
 
art
s
 
on
you
r
planet."

"Yo
u
mea
n
paintin
g
an
d
music
?
Stuf
f
lik
e
that?"

"Painting
,
music
,
sculpture
,
dance
,
literatur
e
..."

Th
e
 
usua
l
 
smil
e
 
brok
e
 
out
,
 
an
d
 
th
e
 
finger
s
 
cam
e
 
together
.
 
"I
t
 
i
s
 
simila
r
 
i
n
som
e
 
way
s
 
t
o
 
th
e
 
art
s
 
on
EARTH
.
 
 
Bu
t
 
remembe
r
 
tha
t
 
w
e
 
hav
e
 
ha
d
 
severa
l
 
billio
n
 
year
s
 
longe
r
 
t
o
 
develo
p
 
the
m
 
tha
n
 
yo
u
 
have.
Ou
r
musi
c
i
s
no
t
base
d
o
n
anythin
g
a
s
primitiv
e
a
s
notes
,
no
r
an
y
o
f
ou
r
art
s
o
n
subjectiv
e
vision."

"No
t
base
d
o
n
notes
?
Ho
w
else-"

"I
t
i
s
continuous."

"Ca
n
yo
u
giv
e
m
e
a
n
example?
"
Wit
h
tha
t
h
e
tor
e
a
shee
t
o
f
pape
r
fro
m
hi
s
littl
e
 
noteboo
k
 
an
d
 
began
t
o
dra
w
somethin
g
o
n
it.

Whil
e
h
e
 
di
d
 
s
o
 
I
 
aske
d
 
hi
m
why
,
 
wit
h
 
al
l
hi
s
 
talent
s
 
an
d
 
capabilities
,
 
h
e
 
neede
d
 
t
o
 
kee
p
 
a
 
written
recor
d
o
f
hi
s
observations
.
"Isn'
t
 
i
t
 
obvious?
"
 
h
e
 
replied
.
 
"Wha
t
 
i
f
somethin
g
 
happen
s
 
t
o
 
m
e
 
befor
e
 
I
 
get
bac
k
t
o
K-PAX?
"
H
e
the
n
showe
d
m
e
th
e
following:

(GRAPHIC)

"Thi
s
i
s
 
on
e
 
o
f
 
m
y
favorites
.
 
I
 
learne
d
 
i
t
 
a
s
 
a
 
boy.
"
 
A
s
 
I
 
trie
d
 
t
o
 
mak
e
 
sens
e
 
ou
t
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
score
,
 
or
whateve
r
i
t
was
,
h
e
added
,
"Yo
u
ca
n
se
e
wh
y
I'
m
rathe
r
partia
l
t
o
you
r
joh
n
cage."

"Ca
n
yo
u
hu
m
a
fe
w
bar
s
o
f
thi
s
thing?"

"Yo
u
kno
w
I
can'
t
sing
.
Besides
,
i
t
doesn'
t
brea
k
dow
n
int
o
`tunes.'"

"Ma
y
I
kee
p
this?"

"Conside
r
i
t
a
souveni
r
o
f
m
y
visit."

"Than
k
 
you
.
 
Now
.
 
Yo
u
 
sai
d
 
tha
t
 
you
r
 
art
s
 
ar
e
 
no
t
 
base
d
 
o
n
 
`subjectiv
e
 
vision.
'
 
Wha
t
 
doe
s
 
that
mean?"

"I
t
means
.
w
e
don'
t
hav
e
wha
t
yo
u
cal
l
`fiction.'"

"Wh
y
not?"

"What'
s
th
e
point?"

"Well
,
throug
h
fiction
,
on
e
ofte
n
gain
s
a
n
understandin
g
o
f
truth."

"Wh
y
bea
t
aroun
d
th
e
bush
?
Wh
y
no
t
g
o
righ
t
fo
r
th
e
trut
h
i
n
th
e
firs
t
place?"

"Trut
h
mean
s
differen
t
thing
s
t
o
differen
t
people."

"Trut
h
i
s
truth
.
Wha
t
yo
u
ar
e
talkin
g
abou
t
 
i
s
 
makebelieve
.
 
Drea
m
 
worlds
.
 
Tel
l
 
me"-h
e
 
ben
t
 
ove
r
 
the
notebook-"wh
y
d
o
huma
n
being
s
hav
e
th
e
peculia
r
impressio
n
tha
t
a
belie
f
i
s
th
e
sam
e
a
s
th
e
truth?"

"Becaus
e
sometime
s
th
e
trut
h
hurts
.
Sometime
s
w
e
nee
d
t
o
believ
e
i
n
a
bette
r
truth."

"Wha
t
bette
r
trut
h
ca
n
ther
e
b
e
tha
n
truth?"

"Ther
e
ma
y
b
e
mor
e
tha
n
on
e
kin
d
o
f
truth."

pro
t
 
continue
d
 
t
o
 
scribbl
e
 
i
n
 
hi
s
 
notebook
.
 
"Ther
e
 
i
s
 
onl
y
 
on
e
 
truth
.
 
Trut
h
 
i
s
 
absolute
.
 
Yo
u
 
can't
escap
e
it
,
n
o
matte
r
ho
w
fa
r
yo
u
run.
"
H
e
sai
d
thi
s
rathe
r
wistfully
,
i
t
seeme
d
t
o
me.

"There'
s
 
anothe
r
 
factor
,
 
too,
"
 
I
 
countered
.
 
"Ou
r
 
belief
s
 
ar
e
 
base
d
 
o
n
 
incomplet
e
 
an
d
 
conflicting
experiences
.
W
e
nee
d
hel
p
t
o
sor
t
thing
s
out
.
Mayb
e
yo
u
ca
n
hel
p
us."

H
e
looke
d
u
p
i
n
surprise
.
"How?"

"Tel
l
m
e
mor
e
abou
t
you
r
lif
e
o
n
K-PAX."

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

"Tel
l
m
e
abou
t
you
r
friend
s
an
d
acquaintance
s
there."

"Al
l
K-PAXian
s
ar
e
m
y
friends
.
Excep
t
ther
e
i
s
n
o
wor
d
fo
r
`friend
'
i
n
pax-o
.
O
r
`enemy.'"

"Tel
l
m
e
abou
t
som
e
o
f
them
.
Whoeve
r
come
s
t
o
mind."

"Well
,
ther
e
i
s
brot
,
an
d
mano
,
an
d
swon
,
an
d
fled
,
and-"

"Wh
o
i
s
brot?"

"H
e
live
s
i
n
th
e
wood
s
RILLwar
d
o
f
reldo
.
Man
o
is-"

"Reldo?"

"
A
villag
e
nea
r
th
e
purpl
e
mountains."

"An
d
bro
t
live
s
there?"

"I
n
th
e
woods."

"Why?"

"Becaus
e
orf
s
usuall
y
liv
e
i
n
th
e
woods."

"What'
s
a
n
orf?"

"Orf
s
 
ar
e
 
somethin
g
 
betwee
n
 
ou
r
 
specie
s
 
an
d
 
trods
.
 
Trod
s
 
ar
e
 
muc
h
 
lik
e
 
you
r
 
chimpanzees
,
 
only
bigger."

"Yo
u
mea
n
orf
s
ar
e
subhuman?"

"Anothe
r
o
f
you
r
famou
s
contradiction
s
i
n
terms
.
Bu
t
i
f
yo
u
mea
n
i
s
 
h
e
 
a
 
forebear
,
 
th
e
 
answe
r
 
i
s
 
yes.
Yo
u
see
,
w
e
di
d
no
t
destro
y
ou
r
immediat
e
progenitor
s
a
s
yo
u
di
d
o
n
EARTH."

"An
d
yo
u
conside
r
th
e
orf
s
t
o
b
e
you
r
friends?"

"O
f
course."

"Wha
t
d
o
yo
u
cal
l
you
r
ow
n
species
,
b
y
th
e
way?"

"Dremers."

"An
d
ho
w
man
y
progenitor
s
ar
e
ther
e
betwee
n
trod
s
an
d
dremers?"

"Seven."

"An
d
the
y
ar
e
al
l
stil
l
i
n
existenc
e
o
n
K-PAX?"

"Mai
s
oui!"

"Wha
t
ar
e
the
y
like?"

"The
y
ar
e
beautiful."

"D
o
yo
u
hav
e
t
o
tak
e
car
e
o
f
the
m
i
n
som
e
way?"

"Onl
y
clea
n
u
p
afte
r
them
,
sometimes
.
Otherwis
e
the
y
tak
e
car
e
o
f
themselves
,
a
s
al
l
being
s
do."

"D
o
the
y
speak
?
Ca
n
yo
u
understan
d
them?"

"Certainly
.
Al
l
being
s
`speak.
'
Yo
u
jus
t
hav
e
t
o
kno
w
thei
r
language."

"Okay
.
G
o
on."

"Man
o
i
s
quiet
.
Sh
e
spend
s
mos
t
o
f
he
r
tim
e
studyin
g
ou
r
insects
.
Swo
n
i
s
sof
t
an
d
green
.
Fle
d
is-"

"Green?"

"O
f
course
.
Swo
n
i
s
a
n
em
.
Somethin
g
lik
e
you
r
tre
e
frogs
,
onl
y
the
y
ar
e
a
s
bi
g
a
s
dogs."

"Yo
u
cal
l
frog
s
b
y
name?"

"Ho
w
els
e
woul
d
yo
u
refe
r
t
o
them?"