K-Pax (79 page)
"What
,
fo
r
example?"
"Abou
t
her."
"Who-hi
s
girlfriend?"
"Yep.
"
I
ma
y
b
e
dense
,
bu
t
I
stil
l
don'
t
se
e
wh
y
he
r
bein
g
a
Catholi
c
i
s
suc
h
a
seriou
s
problem."
"That'
s
becaus
e
yo
u
don'
t
liv
e
here
.
He
r
famil
y
live
s
o
n
th
e
wron
g
sid
e
o
f
th
e
tracks
.
Literally."
"Mayb
e
the
y
wil
l
b
e
abl
e
t
o
overcom
e
th
e
problem."
"How?"
"Sh
e
coul
d
chang
e
he
r
faith
.
The
y
coul
d
mov
e
away."
"No
t
a
chance
.
She'
s
to
o
attache
d
t
o
he
r
family."
"D
o
yo
u
hat
e
her?"
"Me
?
I
don'
t
hat
e
anyone
.
I
hat
e
th
e
chain
s
peopl
e
shackl
e
themselve
s
with."
"Lik
e
religion."
"Religion
,
famil
y
responsibilities
,
havin
g
t
o
mak
e
a
living
,
al
l
tha
t
stuff
.
It'
s
s
o
stifling
,
don'
t
yo
u
think?"
"Sometimes
.
Bu
t
they'r
e
thing
s
w
e
hav
e
t
o
lear
n
t
o
liv
e
with
,
aren'
t
they?"
"No
t
me!"
"Wh
y
not?"
"W
e
don'
t
hav
e
al
l
tha
t
cra
p
o
n
K-PAX."
"Wil
l
yo
u
b
e
goin
g
bac
k
ther
e
soon?"
"An
y
tim
e
now."
"Ho
w
lon
g
d
o
yo
u
usuall
y
sta
y
o
n
Earth?"
"Depends
.
A
fe
w
days
,
usually
.
Jus
t
lon
g
enoug
h
t
o
hel
p
hi
m
ove
r
th
e
roug
h
spots."
"Al
l
right
.
No
w
liste
n
carefully
.
I'
m
goin
g
t
o
as
k
yo
u
t
o
com
e
forwar
d
i
n
tim
e
severa
l
days
.
Let'
s
say tw
o
weeks
.
Wher
e
ar
e
yo
u
now?"
"O
n
K-PAX."
"Good
.
Wha
t
d
o
yo
u
see?"
"
A
fores
t
wit
h
lot
s
o
f
sof
t
place
s
t
o
li
e
dow
n
on
,
an
d
frui
t
trees
,
an
d
al
l
kind
s
o
f
othe
r
beings wanderin
g
around..
.
.
"Muc
h
lik
e
th
e
kin
d
o
f
fores
t
you
r
frien
d
enjoy
s
hikin
g
in?"
"Somethin
g
lik
e
that
,
bu
t
nobod
y
i
s
bulldozin
g
i
t
dow
n
t
o
buil
d
a
shoppin
g
center."
"Tel
l
m
e
abou
t
som
e
o
f
th
e
plant
s
an
d
animal
s
i
n
th
e
wood
s
ther
e
o
n
K-PAX.
"
I
wa
s
curiou
s
t
o
find
ou
t
whethe
r
th
e
youn
g
pro
t
ha
d
a
full
y
develope
d
concep
t
o
f
hi
s
hom
e
planet
,
o
r
whethe
r
tha
t
cam
e
later.
Whil
e
h
e
wa
s
describin
g
th
e
flor
a
an
d
faun
a
I
retrieve
d
hi
s
fil
e
an
d
pulle
d
ou
t
th
e
informatio
n
tha
t
prot
ha
d
divulge
d
t
o
m
e
i
n
session
s
fiv
e
throug
h
eight
.
I
quizze
d
hi
m
o
n
th
e
name
s
o
f
grains
,
fruit
s
and vegetables
,
th
e
variou
s
anima
l
"beings,
"
eve
n
abou
t
ligh
t
trave
l
an
d
th
e
K-PAXia
n
calendar
.
I
won't
repea
t
th
e
question
s
an
d
answer
s
here
,
bu
t
the
y
confirme
d
m
y
suspicio
n
tha
t
th
e
creatio
n
o
f
hi
s
alien
worl
d
wa
s
develope
d
ove
r
man
y
years
.
Fo
r
example
,
h
e
coul
d
tel
l
m
e
th
e
name
s
o
f
onl
y
si
x
grain
s
a
t
this
stage.
Ou
r
tim
e
ra
n
ou
t
jus
t
a
s
pro
t
decide
d
t
o
mak
e
a
tri
p
t
o
on
e
o
f
th
e
K-PAXia
n
libraries
.
H
e
aske
d
me
whethe
r
I
woul
d
lik
e
t
o
joi
n
him
.
I
sai
d
I
wa
s
sorry
,
I
ha
d
som
e
appointments
.
"It'
s
you
r
loss,
"
h
e
said.
Afte
r
I
ha
d
awakene
d
him
,
an
d
befor
e
h
e
lef
t
m
y
examinin
g
room
,
I
aske
d
pro
t
whethe
r
h
e
could
,
in
fact
,
tal
k
t
o
animals
,
a
s
Gisell
e
an
d
I
suspected.
"O
f
course,
"
h
e
replied.
"Ca
n
yo
u
communicat
e
wit
h
al
l
ou
r
beings?"
"
I
hav
e
a
littl
e
difficult
y
wit
h
hom
o
sapiens."
