K-Pax (83 page)

1979
.
 
Wher
e
ar
e
yo
u
an
d
wha
t
d
o
yo
u
see?"

"
I
a
m
 
o
n
 
th
e
 
PLANE
T
 
TERSIPIO
N
 
i
n
wha
t
 
yo
u
 
woul
d
 
cal
l
 
th
e
 
CONSTELLATIO
N
 
TAURUS
.
 
I
se
e
 
 
orang
e
 
 
an
d
 
 
gree
n
 
 
everywhere
.
 
 
It'
s
 
 
quit
e
 
 
remarkable
.
 
 
Th
e
 
 
flor
a
 
 
o
n
 
 
thi
s
 
 
WORL
D
 
 
ar
e
 
 
not
chlorophyll-base
d
a
s
the
y
ar
e
o
n
EART
H
an
d
 
K-PAX
.
 
Instead
,
 
ligh
t
i
s
 
gathere
d
 
b
y
 
a
 
pigmen
t
 
simila
r
 
to
tha
t
o
f
you
r
re
d
algae
.
Th
e
sk
y
i
s
gree
n
becaus
e
o
f
 
th
e
 
chlorin
e
 
i
n
th
e
 
atmosphere
.
 
Ther
e
 
ar
e
 
al
l
kind
s
 
of interestin
g
 
beings
,
 
mos
t
 
o
f
 
who
m
 
yo
u
 
woul
d
 
characteriz
e
 
a
s
 
insects
.
 
Som
e
 
ar
e
 
bigge
r
 
tha
n
 
your
dinosaurs
.
Al
l
o
f
the
m
ar
e
quit
e
slow-moving
,
fortunately
,
bu
t
yo
u
hav
e
to-"

"Excus
e
me
,
prot
.
I
woul
d
lov
e
t
o
hea
r
abou
t
thi
s
planet
,
an
d
al
l
th
e
othe
r
place
s
yo
u
hav
e
visited
,
but
righ
t
no
w
I
woul
d
prefe
r
t
o
concentrat
e
o
n
you
r
passage
s
t
o
Earth."

"Anythin
g
yo
u
say
.
Bu
t
yo
u
aske
d
m
e
wher
e
I
wa
s
an
d
wha
t
I
wa
s
doin
g
o
n
christma
s
o
f
1979."

"Ye
s
I
did
,
bu
t
onl
y
a
s
a
poin
t
o
f
reference
.
Wha
t
I'
d
lik
e
t
o
as
k
yo
u
t
o
d
o
no
w
i
s
t
o
com
e
forwar
d
 
in
tim
e
t
o
you
r
nex
t
visi
t
t
o
Earth
.
Ca
n
yo
u
d
o
that?"

"O
f
course
.
 
Um
,
 
let'
s
 
see
.
 
January
?
 
No
,
 
I
 
wa
s
 
stil
l
o
n
 
TERSIPION
.
 
February
?
 
No
.
 
I
 
wa
s
 
bac
k
 
on
K-PA
X
then
,
learnin
g
t
o
pla
y
th
e
patuse
,
thoug
h
I'l
l
neve
r
b
e
an
y
goo
d
 
a
t
 
it
.
 
I
t
 
mus
t
 
hav
e
 
bee
n
 
i
n
march.
Yes
,
i
t
wa
s
march
,
tha
t
delightfu
l
tim
e
i
n
you
r
norther
n
hemispher
e
whe
n
 
th
e
 
ic
e
 
o
n
 
th
e
 
stream
s
 
i
s
 
melting
an
d
th
e
mayapple
s
an
d
crocuse
s
ar
e
comin
g
up."

"Thi
s
i
s
Marc
h
1980?"

"Precisely."

"An
d
h
e
calle
d
you?"

"Well
,
no
t
fo
r
anythin
g
i
n
particular
.
H
e
jus
t
want
s
someon
e
t
o
tal
k
thing
s
ove
r
wit
h
no
w
an
d
then."

"Tel
l
m
e
abou
t
him
.
What'
s
h
e
like
?
I
s
h
e
married?"

"Yes
,
he'
s
marrie
d
t
o
a
gir
l
h
e
kne
w
in-oh
,
I
tol
d
yo
u
abou
t
tha
t
already
,
didn'
t
I?

"Th
e
Catholi
c
gir
l
wh
o
wa
s
pregnan
t
whe
n
the
y
wer
e
senior
s
i
n
hig
h
school?"

"Wha
t
a
memory
!
She'
s
stil
l
a
catholic
,
bu
t
n
o
longe
r
pregnant
.
Tha
t
wa
s
fiv
e
an
d
a
hal
f
year
s
ago."

"I'v
e
forgotte
n
he
r
name."

"
I
neve
r
tol
d
yo
u
he
r
name."

"Ca
n
yo
u
tel
l
m
e
now?"

Afte
r
a
length
y
hesitation
,
durin
g
whic
h
h
e
 
seeme
d
 
t
o
 
stud
y
 
m
y
haircu
t
 
(o
r
 
th
e
 
nee
d
 
thereof
)
 
h
e
 
said,
quietly
,
"sarah."

Barel
y
concealin
g
m
y
elation
:
"Di
d
the
y
hav
e
a
so
n
o
r
a
daughter?"

"Yes."

"
I
mea
n
which?"

"Yo
u
shoul
d
d
o
somethin
g
abou
t
tha
t
sens
e
o
f
humor
,
docto
r
brewer
.
A
daughter."

"S
o
she'
s
abou
t
five?"

"He
r
birthda
y
i
s
nex
t
week."

"An
y
othe
r
children?"

"No
.
Sara
h
develope
d
endometriosi
s
an
d
the
y
gav
e
he
r
a
hysterectomy
.
Stupid."

"Becaus
e
sh
e
wa
s
s
o
young?"

"No
.
Becaus
e
ther
e
i
s
a
simpl
e
treatmen
t
fo
r
i
t
tha
t
you
r
 
medica
l
 
peopl
e
 
shoul
d
 
hav
e
 
figure
d
 
ou
t
 
long
ago."