K-Pax (77 page)
"Doe
s
you
r
frien
d
fee
l
th
e
sam
e
wa
y
yo
u
d
o
abou
t
that?"
"Nah
.
H
e
believe
s
al
l
tha
t
garbage
.
The
y
al
l
do."
"I
s
you
r
frien
d
ther
e
wit
h
yo
u
now?"
"Yes."
"Ca
n
h
e
hea
r
us?"
"O
f
course
.
He'
s
righ
t
here."
"Ma
y
I
spea
k
wit
h
him?"
Agai
n
th
e
momentar
y
hesitation
.
"H
e
doesn'
t
wan
t
to."
"I
f
h
e
change
s
hi
s
mind
,
wil
l
yo
u
le
t
m
e
know?"
"
I
guess."
"Wil
l
h
e
tel
l
m
e
hi
s
name
,
a
t
least?"
"N
o
way."
"Well
,
w
e
hav
e
t
o
cal
l
hi
m
something
.
Ho
w
abou
t
Pete?"
"That'
s
no
t
hi
s
name
,
bu
t
okay."
"Al
l
right
.
I
s
h
e
a
senio
r
now?"
Yep.
"Wha
t
yea
r
i
s
it?"
"Ninetee
n
seventy-four."
"Ho
w
ol
d
ar
e
you?"
"
A
hunner
t
an
d
seventy-three."
"An
d
ho
w
ol
d
i
s
Pete?"
"Seventeen."
"Doe
s
h
e
kno
w
yo
u
com
e
fro
m
K-PAX?"
"Yes."
"Ho
w
doe
s
h
e
kno
w
that?"
"
I
tol
d
him."
"Wha
t
wa
s
hi
s
reactio
n
t
o
that?"
"H
e
think
s
it'
s
cool."
"Incidentally
,
ho
w
di
d
yo
u
lear
n
t
o
spea
k
Englis
h
s
o
well
?
Di
d
h
e
teac
h
you?"
"Nah
.
It'
s
no
t
ver
y
difficult
.
Yo
u
shoul
d
tr
y
speakin
g
w:xljgzs/k..mns"pt."
"Wher
e
di
d
yo
u
lan
d
whe
n
yo
u
cam
e
t
o
Earth?"
"Yo
u
mea
n
thi
s
trip?"
"Yes."
'China."
"No
t
Zaire?"
"Wh
y
shoul
d
I
lan
d
i
n
zair
e
whe
n
chin
a
wa
s
pointin
g
towar
d
K-PAX?"
"D
o
yo
u
hav
e
an
y
othe
r
Eart
h
friends
?
I
s
ther
e
anyon
e
els
e
ther
e
wit
h
you?"
"Nobod
y
her
e
bu
t
u
s
chickens."
"Ho
w
man
y
chicken
s
ar
e
you?"
"Jus
t
m
e
an
d
him."
"Tel
l
m
e
mor
e
abou
t
Pete
.
What'
s
h
e
like?"
"What'
s
h
e
like
?
He'
s
al
l
right
.
Kind
a
quiet
.
Keep
s
t
o
himself
.
He'
s
no
t
a
s
smar
t
a
s
I
am
,
bu
t
that
doesn'
t
matte
r
o
n
EARTH."
"No
?
An
d
wha
t
doe
s
matter?"
"Al
l tha
t
matter
s
i
s
tha
t
you'r
e
a
`nic
e
guy,
'
an
d
no
t
to
o
ba
d
looking."
"An
d
i
s
he?"
"
I suppose."
"Ca
n
yo
u
describ
e
him?"
"Yes."
"Pleas
e
do."
"He'
s
beginnin
g
t
o
wea
r
hi
s
hai
r
long
.
H
e
ha
s
brow
n
eyes
,
mediu
m
complexion
,
an
d
twenty-eight
pimples
,
whic
h
h
e
put
s
clearasi
l
o
n
al
l
th
e
time."
"Ar
e
hi
s
eye
s
sensitiv
e
t
o
brigh
t
light?"
"No
t
particularly
.
Wh
y
shoul
d
the
y
be?"
"Wha
t
make
s
hi
m
a
nic
e
guy?"
"H
e
smile
s
a
lot
,
h
e
help
s
th
e
dumbe
r
kid
s
wit
h
thei
r
assignments
,
h
e
volunteer
s
t
o
se
t
u
p
the
bleacher
s
fo
r
th
e
hom
e
games
,
stuf
f
lik
e
that
.
He'
s
vice-presiden
t
o
f
th
e
class
.
Everybod
y
like
s
him."
"Yo
u
soun
d
a
s
thoug
h
you'r
e
no
t
s
o
sur
e
the
y
should."
"
I
kno
w
hi
m
bette
r
tha
n
anybod
y
else."
"An
d
yo
u
thin
k
he'
s
no
t
a
s
nic
e
a
s
everybod
y
thinks."
"He'
s
no
t
a
s
nic
e
a
s
h
e
make
s
out."
"I
n
wha
t
way?"
"H
e
ha
s
a
temper
.
I
t
get
s
ou
t
o
f
han
d
sometimes."
"Wha
t
happen
s
whe
n
i
t
get
s
ou
t
o
f
hand?"
"H
e
get
s
mad
.
Throw
s
thing
s
around
,
kick
s
inanimat
e
objects."
"Wha
t
make
s
hi
m
mad?"
"Thing
s
tha
t
see
m
unfair
,
tha
t
h
e
can'
t
d
o
anythin
g
about
.
Yo
u
know."
I
wa
s
prett
y
sur
e
I
di
d
know
.
I
t
ha
d
somethin
g
t
o
d
o
wit
h
th
e
helplessnes
s
an
d
ange
r
h
e
fel
t
a
t
the
tim
e
o
f
hi
s
father'
s
death
.
"Ca
n
yo
u
giv
e
m
e
a
n
example?"
"On
e
tim
e
h
e
foun
d
a
ki
d
beatin
g
u
p
o
n
a
smalle
r
kid
.
Th
e
olde
r
gu
y
wa
s
a
bi
g
redheade
d
bull
y
and everybod
y
hate
d
him
.
H
e
ha
d
broke
n
th
e
othe
r
kid'
s
glasses
,
an
d
hi
s
nose
,
too
,
I
think
.
M
y
frien
d
beat
th
e
shi
t
ou
t
o
f
him
.
I
trie
d
t
o
sto
p
hi
m
bu
t
h
e
wouldn'
t
listen."
"Wha
t
happene
d
then
?
Wa
s
th
e
bull
y
badl
y
hurt
?
Di
d
h
e
tr
y
t
o
ge
t
eve
n
late
r
on?"
"H
e
los
t
a
coupl
e
teet
h
i
s
all
.
H
e
wa
s
mostl
y
afrai
d
m
y
frien
d
woul
d
tel
l
everybod
y
wha
t
happened.
Whe
n
h
e
didn't
,
an
d
aske
d
th
e
littl
e
ki
d
no
t
t
o
either
,
the
y
becam
e
th
e
bes
t
o
f
buddies
.
Al
l
thre
e
o
f
them."
"Wha
t
d
o
thes
e
othe
r
guy
s
thin
k
abou
t
you?"
"The
y
don'
t
kno
w
abou
t
me."
"Doe
s
anyon
e
beside
s
you
r
frien
d
kno
w
abou
t
you?"
