K-Pax (70 page)

"No."

"D
o
yo
u
kno
w
th
e
nam
e
o
f
th
e
tow
n
you
r
frien
d
live
s
in?"
N
o
response.

"Wha
t
happene
d
afte
r
th
e
funeral?"

"W
e
wen
t
home."

"Wha
t
happene
d
afte
r
that?"

"
I
don'
t
remember."

"Ca
n
yo
u
remembe
r
anythin
g
els
e
tha
t
happene
d
tha
t
day?"

"No
,
excep
t
I
go
t
knocke
d
ove
r
b
y
a
big
,
shagg
y
dog."

"Wha
t
i
s
th
e
nex
t
thin
g
yo
u
remember?"

pro
t
 
sa
t
 
u
p
 
a
 
littl
e
 
straighte
r
 
an
d
 
stoppe
d
 
squirming
.
 
Otherwis
e
 
ther
e
 
wa
s
 
littl
e
 
chang
e
 
i
n
 
his
demeanor
.
 
"I
t
i
s
night
.
W
e
ar
e
i
n
th
e
house
.
H
e
i
s
playin
g
wit
h
hi
s
butterfl
y
collection."

"Th
e
othe
r
boy?"

"Yes."

"An
d
wha
t
ar
e
yo
u
doing?"

"Watchin
g
him."

"D
o
yo
u
collec
t
butterflie
s
too?"

"No."

"Wh
y
ar
e
yo
u
watchin
g
him?"

"
I
wan
t
hi
m
t
o
com
e
outside."

"Wh
y
d
o
yo
u
wan
t
hi
m
t
o
com
e
outside?"

"T
o
loo
k
a
t
th
e
stars."

"Doesn'
t
h
e
wan
t
t
o
go?"

"No."

"Wh
y
not?"

"I
t
remind
s
hi
m
o
f
hi
s
father
.
He'
d
rathe
r
mes
s
wit
h
hi
s
stupi
d
butterflies."

"Bu
t
you'
d
rathe
r
loo
k
a
t
th
e
stars."

"Yes."

"Wh
y
d
o
yo
u
wan
t
t
o
loo
k
a
t
th
e
stars?"

"
I
liv
e
there."

"Amon
g
th
e
stars?"

"Uh-huh.
"
I
remembe
r
m
y
initia
l
discouragemen
t
a
t
hearin
g
thi
s
answer
.
I
t
seeme
d
 
t
o
 
mea
n
 
tha
t
 
prot's
delusio
n
 
ha
d
 
begu
n
 
extremel
y
 
earl
y
 
i
n
 
life
;
 
s
o
 
early
,
 
perhaps
,
 
a
s
 
t
o
 
preclud
e
 
a
 
determinatio
n
 
o
f
 
its
causativ
e
events
.
Bu
t
 
suddenl
y
 
I
 
understood
!
 
pro
t
 
wa
s
 
a
 
secondar
y
 
personality
,
 
whos
e
 
primar
y
 
wa
s
 
the
bo
y
whos
e
fathe
r
ha
d
die
d
whe
n
h
e
wa
s
six!

"Won'
t
yo
u
tel
l
m
e
you
r
name?"

"prot."

"Wher
e
d
o
yo
u
com
e
from
,
prot?"

"Fro
m
th
e
plane
t
K-PAX."

"Wh
y
ar
e
yo
u
here?"

"H
e
wante
d
m
e
t
o
come."

"Wh
y
di
d
h
e
wan
t
yo
u
t
o
come?"

"H
e
call
s
m
e
whe
n
somethin
g
ba
d
happens."

"Lik
e
whe
n
hi
s
fathe
r
died."

"Yes."

"Di
d
somethin
g
ba
d
happe
n
today?"

"Yes."

"Wha
t
happened?"

"Hi
s
do
g
wa
s
ru
n
ove
r
b
y
a
truck."

"An
d
that'
s
whe
n
h
e
calle
d
you."

"Yes."

"Ho
w
doe
s
h
e
d
o
that
?
Ho
w
doe
s
h
e
cal
l
you?"

"
I
don'
t
know
.
I
jus
t
sort
a
kno
w
it."

"Ho
w
di
d
yo
u
ge
t
t
o
Earth?'

I
don'
t
know
.
I
jus
t
came.
"
pro
t
hadn'
t
ye
t
"developed
"
ligh
t
trave
l
i
n
hi
s
mind!

"Ho
w
ol
d
i
s
you
r
frien
d
now?"

"Nine."

"Wha
t
yea
r
i
s
it?"

"Nineteen-uh-sixty-six."

"Ca
n
yo
u
tel
l
m
e
you
r
friend'
s
nam
e
now?
"
N
o
response.

"H
e
ha
s
a
name
,
doesn'
t
he?"

pro
t
 
stare
d
 
blankl
y
 
a
t
 
th
e
 
spo
t
 
o
n
 
th
e
 
wal
l
 
behin
d
 
me
.
 
I
 
wa
s
 
abou
t
 
t
o
 
g
o
 
o
n
 
whe
n
 
h
e
 
said
,
 
"It'
s
 
a
secret.

H
e
doesn'
t
wan
t
m
e
t
o
tel
l
you-.
"
Bu
t
 
no
w
 
I
 
kne
w
 
h
e
 
wa
s
 
i
n
ther
e
 
somewher
e
 
an
d
 
prot
,
 
apparently,
coul
d
consul
t
wit
h
him.

"Wh
y
doesn'
t
h
e
wan
t
yo
u
t
o
tel
l
me?"

"I
f
I
tel
l
you
,
somethin
g
ba
d
wil
l
happen."

"
I
promis
e
yo
u
nothin
g
ba
d
wil
l
happen
.
Tel
l
hi
m
I
sai
d
that."

"Al
l
right.
"
Pause
.
"H
e
stil
l
doesn'
t
wan
t
m
e
t
o
tel
l
you."

"H
e
doesn'
t
hav
e
t
o
tel
l
m
e
righ
t
no
w
i
f
h
e
doesn'
t
wan
t
 
to
.
 
Let'
s
 
g
o
 
bac
k
 
t
o
 
th
e
 
stars
.
 
D
o
 
yo
u
 
know
wher
e
K-PA
X
i
s
i
n
th
e
sky?"

"U
p
there.
"
H
e
pointed
.
"I
n
th
e
constellatio
n
Lyra."

"D
o
yo
u
kno
w
th
e
name
s
o
f
al
l
th
e
constellations?"

"Mos
t
o
f
them."

"Doe
s
you
r
frien
d
kno
w
th
e
constellation
s
too?"

"H
e
use
d
to."

"Ha
s
h
e
forgotte
n
them?"

"Yes."

"I
s
h
e
n
o
longe
r
intereste
d
i
n
them?"

"No."

"Wh
y
not?"

"Hi
s
fathe
r
died."

"Hi
s
fathe
r
taugh
t
hi
m
abou
t
th
e
stars?"

"Yes."

"H
e
wa
s
a
n
amateu
r
astronomer?"

"A-huh."

"Wa
s
hi
s
fathe
r
alway
s
intereste
d
i
n
th
e
stars?"

"No."

"Whe
n
di
d
h
e
becom
e
intereste
d
i
n
them?"

"Afte
r
h
e
wa
s
hur
t
a
t
work."

"Becaus
e
h
e
ha
d
nothin
g
t
o
do?"

"No
.
H
e
couldn'
t
sleep."

"Becaus
e
o
f
th
e
pain?"

"Yes."

"Di
d
h
e
slee
p
durin
g
th
e
day?"

"Onl
y
on
e
o
r
tw
o
hours."

"
I
see
.
An
d
on
e
o
f
th
e
constellation
s
you
r
friend'
s
fathe
r
tol
d
hi
m
abou
t
wa
s
Lyra?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Jus
t
befor
e
h
e
died."

"Whe
n
h
e
wa
s
six?"

"Yes."

"Di
d
h
e
eve
r
tel
l
hi
m
ther
e
wer
e
planet
s
aroun
d
an
y
o
f
th
e
star
s
i
n
Lyra?"

"H
e
sai
d
ther
e
wer
e
probabl
y
planet
s
aroun
d
a
lo
t
o
f
th
e
star
s
i
n
th
e
sky."

"On
e
mor
e
thing
:
Wh
y
don'
t
yo
u
g
o
ou
t
an
d
watc
h
th
e
star
s
b
y
yourself?"

"
I
can't."

"Wh
y
not?"

"H
e
want
s
m
e
t
o
sta
y
wit
h
 
him.
"
pro
t
 
yawned
.
 
H
e
 
wa
s
 
beginnin
g
 
t
o
 
soun
d
 
tire
d
 
an
d
 
I
 
didn'
t
 
wan
t
 
to
pus
h
hi
m
to
o
fa
r
a
t
thi
s
point
.
I
brough
t
hi
m bac
k
t
o
th
e
presen
t
time.

"
I
thin
k
that'
s
 
enoug
h
 
fo
r
 
on
e
 
day
.
 
Yo
u
 
ma
y
 
clos
e
 
you
r
 
eyes
.
 
I'
m
 
goin
g
 
t
o
 
star
t
 
countin
g
 
backwards
now
,
fro
m
fiv
e
t
o
one
.
A
s
I
coun
t
yo
u
wil
l
becom
e
mor
e
an
d
mor
e
alert
.
O
n
th
e
 
coun
t
 
o
f
 
on
e
 
yo
u
 
wil
l
be
wid
e
awake
,
refreshed
,
an
d
feelin
g
fine
.
Fiv
e
..
.
fou
r
..
.
thre
e
..
.
tw
o
..
.
one.
"
I
snappe
d
m
y
fingers.

pro
t
looke
d
a
t
m
e
an
d
smile
d
brightly
.
"Whe
n
d
o
w
e
begin?
"
h
e
said.

"It'
s
alread
y
over."

"Ah
.
Th
e
ol
d
`fastes
t
gu
n
i
n
th
e
west
'
routine."

"
I
kno
w
tha
t
feeling!"

H
e
ha
d
hi
s
noteboo
k
out
;
h
e
wante
d
m
e
t
o
tel
l
hi
m
ho
w
hypnosi
s
worked
.
I
spen
t
th
e
res
t
o
f
th
e
 
hour
tryin
g
t
o
explai
n
somethin
g
I
didn'
t
full
y
understan
d
myself
.
H
e
seeme
d
a
littl
e
disappointed.