K-Pax (76 page)
"No."
"Well
,
di
d
yo
u
hav
e
suc
h
a
friend?"
"Yes."
"I
s
h
e
stil
l
a
frien
d
o
f
yours?"
"O
f
course."
"Wh
y
didn'
t
yo
u
tel
l
m
e
abou
t
hi
m
before?"
"Yo
u
neve
r
asked."
"
I
see
.
Wher
e
i
s
h
e
now
,
d
o
yo
u
know?"
"H
e
i
s
waiting
.
I
a
m
goin
g
t
o
tak
e
hi
m
bac
k
t
o
K-PA
X
wit
h
me
.
Tha
t
is
,
i
f
h
e
stil
l
want
s
t
o
go
.
He
vacillate
s
a
lot."
"An
d
wher
e
i
s
you
r
frien
d
waiting?"
"H
e
i
s
i
n
a
saf
e
place."
"D
o
yo
u
kno
w
wher
e
tha
t
is?"
"Certainly."
"Ca
n
yo
u
tel
l
me?"
"Nay
,
nay."
"Wh
y
not?"
"Becaus
e
h
e
aske
d
m
e
no
t
t
o
tel
l
anyone."
"Ca
n
yo
u
a
t
leas
t
tel
l
m
e
hi
s
name?"
"Sorry."
Give
n
th
e
circumstances
,
I
decide
d
t
o
tak
e
a
chance
.
"prot
,
I'
m
goin
g
t
o
tel
l
yo
u
somethin
g
yo
u
may
fin
d
har
d
t
o
believe."
"Nothin
g
yo
u
human
s
com
e
u
p
wit
h
surprise
s
m
e
anymore."
"Yo
u
an
d
you
r
frien
d
ar
e
th
e
sam
e
person
.
Tha
t
is
,
yo
u
an
d
h
e
ar
e
separat
e
an
d
distinc
t
identitie
s
of
th
e
sam
e
person."
H
e
seeme
d
genuinel
y
shocked
.
"Tha
t
i
s
patentl
y
absurd."
"It'
s
true."
Annoye
d
now
,
bu
t
unde
r
control
:
"I
s
tha
t
anothe
r
o
f
thos
e
`beliefs
'
tha
t
passe
s
fo
r
trut
h
wit
h
your
species?"
I
t
ha
d
bee
n
a
lon
g
shot
,
an
d
i
t
ha
d
missed
.
Ther
e
wa
s
n
o
wa
y
t
o
prov
e
th
e
contentio
n
an
d
n
o
poin
t
in
wastin
g
an
y
mor
e
time
.
Whe
n
h
e
ha
d
finishe
d
hi
s
snac
k
I
aske
d
i
f
h
e
wa
s
read
y
t
o
b
e
hypnotize
d
again.
H
e
nodde
d
suspiciously
,
bu
t
b
y
th
e
tim
e
I
ha
d
counte
d
t
o
thre
e
h
e
wa
s
alread
y
"gone."
I
began
:
"Las
t
tim
e
yo
u
tol
d
m
e
abou
t
you
r
Eart
h
friend
,
beginnin
g
wit
h
hi
s
father'
s
death
.
D
o
you
remember?"
"Yes.
"
pro
t
wa
s
tranc
e
anamnesti
c
-
h
e
coul
d
remembe
r
previou
s
hypnoti
c
sessions
,
bu
t
onl
y
whil
e
in
th
e
hypnoti
c
state.
"Good
.
No
w
I
wan
t
yo
u
t
o
thin
k
bac
k
onc
e
again
,
bu
t
no
t
s
o
fa
r
bac
k
a
s
las
t
time
.
Yo
u
an
d
your
frien
d
ar
e
hig
h
schoo
l
seniors
.
Twelfth-graders
.
Wha
t
d
o
yo
u
see?"
A
t
thi
s
poin
t
pro
t
slouche
d
dow
n
i
n
hi
s
chair
,
fiddle
d
wit
h
hi
s
nails
,
an
d
bega
n
t
o
che
w
o
n
an
imaginar
y
piec
e
o
f
gum
.
"
I
wa
s
neve
r
a
hig
h
schoo
l
senior,
"
h
e
said
.
"
I
neve
r
wen
t
t
o
school"
"Wh
y
not?"
"W
e
don'
t
hav
e
school
s
o
n
K-PAX."
"Wha
t
abou
t
you
r
friend
?
Doe
s
h
e
g
o
t
o
school?"
"Yes
,
h
e
does
,
th
e
dope
.
I
couldn'
t
tal
k
hi
m
ou
t
o
f
it."
"Wh
y
woul
d
yo
u
wan
t
t
o
tal
k
hi
m
ou
t
o
f
it?"
"Ar
e
yo
u
kidding
?
School
s
ar
e
a
tota
l
wast
e
o
f
time
.
The
y
tr
y
t
o
teac
h
yo
u
a
bunc
h
o
f
crap."
"Lik
e
what?"
"Lik
e
ho
w
grea
t
americ
a
is
,
bette
r
tha
n
an
y
othe
r
country
,
ho
w
yo
u
hav
e
t
o
hav
e
war
s
t
o
protect
you
r
`freedoms,
'
al
l
kind
s
o
f
jun
k
lik
e
that."
