K-Pax (92 page)
W
e
sa
t
silentl
y
fo
r
severa
l
minute
s
whil
e
I
waite
d
fo
r
Rober
t
t
o
mak
e
a
move
,
a
smal
l
gestur
e
to
indicat
e
h
e
h
e
ha
d
hear
d
m
y
plea
.
Bu
t
h
e
neve
r
twitche
d
a
muscle.
"I'
m
goin
g
t
o
as
k
yo
u
t
o
thin
k
abou
t
i
t
fo
r
a
while
.
We'l
l
tal
k
abou
t
thi
s
agai
n
a
wee
k
fro
m
today
,
all right
?
Pleas
e
trus
t
me."
N
o
response.
"I'
m
goin
g
t
o
as
k
t
o
spea
k
wit
h
you
r
frien
d
now."
I
n
a
twinklin
g
pro
t
wa
s
back
,
wide-eye
d
an
d
smilin
g
broadly
.
"Hiya
,
gene
.
Lon
g
tim
e
n
o
see
.
Ho
w
ya
been?
"
W
e
talke
d
a
bi
t
abou
t
ou
r
firs
t
fe
w
meeting
s
bac
k
i
n
May
,
th
e
tinies
t
detail
s
o
f
whic
h
he
describe
d
perfectly
,
a
s
i
f
h
e
ha
d
a
tap
e
recorde
r
insid
e
hi
s
head.
I
wok
e
hi
m
an
d
sen
t
hi
m
bac
k
t
o
War
d
Two
.
Cheerfu
l
a
s
ever
,
h
e
didn'
t
remembe
r
a
thin
g
about
wha
t
ha
d
jus
t
transpired.
THER
E
wa
s
a
semina
r
tha
t
afternoo
n
i
n
ou
r
lectur
e
room
,
bu
t
I
didn'
t
hea
r
a
wor
d
o
f
it
.
I
was
considerin
g
th
e
possibilit
y
o
f
increasin
g
th
e
numbe
r
o
f
session
s
wit
h
prot/Robert
.
Unfortunately
,
I
ha
d
a
meetin
g
i
n
Lo
s
Angele
s
a
t
th
e
en
d
o
f
tha
t
wee
k
an
d
th
e
beginnin
g
o
f
th
e
next
,
somethin
g
tha
t
ha
d
been
arrange
d
month
s
befor
e
an
d
woul
d
hav
e
bee
n
impossibl
e
t
o
ge
t
ou
t
of
.
Bu
t
I
suspecte
d
tha
t
eve
n
a
dozen
mor
e
session
s
wouldn'
t
b
e
enough
.
Mayb
e
a
hundre
d
wouldn'
t
b
e
enoug
h
t
o
sor
t
everythin
g
out
.
True
,
I
no
w
kne
w
hi
s
firs
t
name
,
bu
t
I
wasn'
t
sur
e
thi
s
woul
d
b
e
o
f
muc
h
hel
p
i
n
tracin
g
hi
s
background
.
I
t
was
encouragin
g
i
n
anothe
r
sense
,
however
:
I
t
indicate
d
a
possibl
e
crac
k
i
n
th
e
armor
,
a
hin
t
o
f
willingnes
s
on
Robert'
s
par
t
t
o
begi
n
t
o
cooperate
,
t
o
hel
p
wit
h
hi
s
ow
n
recovery
,
t
o
ge
t
well
.
Bu
t
ther
e
wer
e
onl
y
two
week
s
lef
t
befor
e
prot'
s
"departure.
"
I
f
I
couldn'
t
ge
t
throug
h
t
o
hi
m
b
y
then
,
I
wa
s
afrai
d
i
t
woul
d
b
e
too
late.
"Hi
s
nam
e
i
s
Rober
t
Something,
"
I
tol
d
Gisell
e
afte
r
th
e
seminar.
"Great
!
Le
t
m
e
chec
k
i
t
agains
t
m
y
list.
"
Sh
e
ben
t
ove
r
a
lon
g
compute
r
printout
.
He
r
profil
e
was
perfect
,
lik
e
on
e
o
f
thos
e
"Ca
n
yo
u
dra
w
me?
"
advertisements
.
"Here'
s
one
!
Bu
t
thi
s
gu
y
disappeare
d
in
Apri
l
o
f
1985
,
an
d
h
e
wa
s
sixty-eigh
t
year
s
old
.
Wait
!
Here'
s
anothe
r
one
!
An
d
h
e
disappeare
d
in
August
!
No
,
no
,
h
e
wa
s
onl
y
seve
n
then
.
Tha
t
woul
d
mak
e
hi
m
twelv
e
now.
"
Sh
e
looke
d
a
t
m
e
sadly.
