K-Pax (88 page)
I
t
wa
s
abou
t
thi
s
tim
e
tha
t
Chuc
k
organize
d
a
n
essa
y
contes
t
t
o
decid
e
wh
o
woul
d
b
e
th
e
on
e
t
o
go
wit
h
pro
t
o
n
Augus
t
seventeenth
.
Th
e
pla
n
calle
d
fo
r
submissio
n
o
f
al
l
entrie
s
b
y
th
e
tenth
,
a
wee
k
before
hi
s
"departure,
"
a
dat
e
tha
t
wa
s
rapidl
y
approaching
.
pro
t
ha
d
apparentl
y
agree
d
t
o
rea
d
al
l
th
e
essay
s
by
th
e
seventeenth.
Severa
l
staf
f
member
s
note
d
tha
t
War
d
Tw
o
wa
s
unusuall
y
quie
t
durin
g
tha
t
two-wee
k
perio
d
with
everyon
e
sittin
g
of
f
b
y
him/herself
,
thinkin
g
hard
,
bendin
g
ove
r
periodicall
y
t
o
writ
e
somethin
g
down
.
The
onl
y
patient
s
wh
o
didn'
t
see
m
t
o
wan
t
t
o
g
o
t
o
k-PA
X
wer
e
Erni
e
an
d
Bess-Erni
e
becaus
e
ther
e
was wor
k
t
o
b
e
don
e
here
,
an
d
Bes
s
becaus
e
sh
e
fel
t
sh
e
didn'
t
deserv
e
a
fre
e
trip
.
And
,
o
f
course
,
Russell,
wh
o
calle
d
th
e
contes
t
"th
e
wor
k
o
f
th
e
devil."
Sessio
n
Thirteen
EVE
R
sinc
e
sh
e
ra
n
of
f
t
o
Texa
s
wit
h
a
guita
r
playe
r
a
t
th
e
ag
e
o
f
fifteen
,
m
y
daughte
r
Abb
y
has bee
n
a
vegetarian
.
Sh
e
won'
t
wea
r
fur
,
either
,
an
d
ha
s
lon
g
oppose
d
th
e
us
e
o
f
animal
s
i
n
medical
research
.
I
hav
e
trie
d
man
y
time
s
t
o
explai
n
t
o
he
r
th
e
benefit
s
t
o
mankin
d
o
f
th
e
latte
r
endeavor
,
bu
t
her
min
d
i
s
close
d
o
n
th
e
subject
.
"Explai
n
tha
t
t
o
al
l
th
e
dea
d
dogs,
"
i
s
he
r
standar
d
reply
.
W
e
haven't
discusse
d
th
e
subjec
t
i
n
years.
Abb
y
onc
e
gav
e
m
e
a
tape
d
recordin
g
o
f
whal
e
songs
.
A
t
th
e
beginnin
g
o
f
sessio
n
thirteen
,
while
pro
t
wa
s
diggin
g
int
o
a
watermelon
,
I
playe
d
i
t
fo
r
him
.
H
e
stoppe
d
chewin
g
an
d
tilte
d
hi
s
hea
d
t
o
one
side
,
muc
h
a
s
Shast
a
ha
d
don
e
whe
n
sh
e
ha
d
hear
d
th
e
sam
e
tape
.
B
y
th
e
tim
e
i
t
wa
s
ove
r
h
e
was
grinnin
g
eve
n
mor
e
broadl
y
tha
n
usual
.
A
piec
e
o
f
th
e
rin
d
wa
s
stuc
k
i
n
hi
s
teeth
.
I
said
,
"Ca
n
yo
u
make
anythin
g
ou
t
o
f
that?"
"O
f
course."
"Wha
t
i
s
it
?
I
s
i
t
som
e
kin
d
o
f
communication?"
"Wha
t
di
d
yo
u
thin
k
i
t
was-stomac
h
gas?"
"Ca
n
yo
u
tel
l
m
e
wha
t
they'r
e
saying?"
"Sure."
"Well?"
"They'r
e
passin
g
o
n
al
l
kind
s
o
f
ver
y
comple
x
navigationa
l
data
,
temperatur
e
an
d
solut
e
an
d
food
typ
e
an
d
distributio
n
charts
,
an
d
lot
s
o
f
othe
r
things
,
includin
g
som
e
poetr
y
an
d
art
.
I
t
i
s
ric
h
i
n
imagery
an
d
emotion
,
whic
h
yo
u
woul
d
probabl
y
dismis
s
a
s
`sentimental.'"
"Ca
n
yo
u
giv
e
m
e
a
litera
l
translatio
n
o
f
al
l
that?"
"
I
could
,
bu
t
I
won't."
