K-Pax (63 page)
Jus
t
afte
r
tha
t
Bett
y
showe
d
u
p
wit
h
he
r
husband
,
a
n
Englis
h
professo
r
a
t
NYU
,
wh
o
happen
s
to
hav
e
a
blac
k
bel
t
i
n
aikido
.
The
y
ha
d
brough
t
pro
t
an
d
on
e
o
f
ou
r
trainees
,
who
m
I
ha
d
invite
d
primarily
becaus
e
h
e
ha
d
bee
n
a
n
outstandin
g
amateu
r
wrestle
r
an
d
he
,
too
,
woul
d
b
e
helpfu
l
i
n
cas
e
pro
t
showed
an
y
indicatio
n
o
f
turbulence
.
Shast
a
Daisy
,
extr
a
nervou
s
whe
n
s
o
man
y
peopl
e
ar
e
present
,
barke
d
at
everyon
e
wh
o
arrive
d
fro
m
th
e
safet
y
o
f
th
e
undersid
e
o
f
th
e
bac
k
porch
,
he
r
usua
l
refuge.
pro
t
cam
e
bearin
g
gifts
:
thre
e
mor
e
sta
r
map
s
representin
g
th
e
heaven
s
a
s
see
n
fro
m
variou
s
places
h
e
ha
d
"visited,
"
a
s
wel
l
a
s
a
cop
y
o
f
Hamlet
,
translate
d
int
o
pax-o
.
H
e
hadn'
t
bee
n
ou
t
o
f
th
e
ca
r
fo
r
five
seconds
,
however
,
befor
e
a
n
extraordinar
y
thin
g
happened
.
Shast
a
suddenl
y
ra
n
a
t
hi
m
fro
m
th
e
porch
.
I
yelled
,
afrai
d
sh
e
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
attac
k
him
.
Bu
t
sh
e
stoppe
d
short
,
wagge
d
he
r
tai
l
fro
m
ea
r
t
o
ea
r
a
s
only
a
Dalmatia
n
can,
'
an
d
flattene
d
hersel
f
agains
t
hi
s
leg
.
prot
,
fo
r
hi
s
part
,
-wa
s
dow
n
o
n
th
e
ground
immediately
,
rollin
g
an
d
feignin
g
wit
h
th
e
dog
,
barking
,
even
,
an
d
the
n
the
y
wer
e
u
p
runnin
g
al
l
ove
r
the
yard
,
m
y
grandson
s
chasin
g
alon
g
behind
,
Shakespear
e
an
d
th
e
chart
s
blowin
g
i
n
th
e
wind
.
Fortunately,
w
e
manage
d
t
o
recove
r
al
l
bu
t
th
e
las
t
pag
e
o
f
th
e
play.
Afte
r
a
whil
e
pro
t
sa
t
dow
n
o
n
th
e
gras
s
an
d
Shast
a
la
y
dow
n
besid
e
him
,
bathin
g
herself
,
utterly
cal
m
an
d
content
.
Later
,
sh
e
playe
d
wit
h
Rai
n
an
d
Sta
r
fo
r
th
e
ver
y
firs
t
time
.
No
t
onc
e
di
d
sh
e
retrea
t
to
th
e
porc
h
th
e
res
t
o
f
tha
t
afternoo
n
an
d
evening
,
no
t
eve
n
whe
n
th
e
nearb
y
countr
y
clu
b
celebration
starte
d
of
f
wit
h
a
tremendou
s
bang
.
Sh
e
becam
e
a
differen
t
do
g
tha
t
Fourt
h
o
f
July.
As
,
s
o
t
o
speak
,
di
d
w
e
all.
Tha
t
night
,
afte
r
th
e
firework
s
wer
e
ove
r
an
d
ou
r
guest
s
ha
d
gone
,
Fre
d
cam
e
int
o
th
e
famil
y
room
downstairs
,
wher
e
I
wa
s
shootin
g
som
e
poo
l
an
d
listenin
g
t
o
Th
e
Flyin
g
Dutchma
n
o
n
ou
r
ol
d
hi-f
i
set.
Fo
r
year
s
I'
d
ha
d
th
e
feelin
g
tha
t
Fre
d
wante
d
t
o
tel
l
m
e
something
.
Ther
e
ha
d
bee
n
time
s
during
pause
s
i
n
conversation
s
whe
n
I
wa
s
sur
e
h
e
wa
s
tryin
g
t
o
ge
t
somethin
g
of
f
hi
s
ches
t
bu
t
couldn'
t
quite
brin
g
himsel
f
t
o
d
o
it
.
I
neve
r
trie
d
t
o
pus
h
him
,
figurin
g
tha
t
whe
n
h
e
wa
s
read
y
h
e
woul
d
tel
l
m
e
o
r
his
mothe
r
wha
t
wa
s
botherin
g
him.
