K-Pax (103 page)

Oddly
,
 
 
n
o
 
 
on
e
 
 
seeme
d
 
 
particularl
y
 
 
disappointed
.
 
 
Everyon
e
 
 
kne
w
 
 
i
t
 
 
wa
s
 
 
onl
y
 
 
a
  
matte
r
 
 
of
days-hours-unti
l
"departure
"
time
,
an
d
hi
s
selectio
n
woul
d
hav
e
t
o
b
e
mad
e
b
y
then.

Sessio
n
Sixteen

DESPIT
E
facin
g
wha
t
shoul
d
hav
e
bee
n
a
ver
y
lon
g
an
d
presumabl
y
exhaustin
g
 
journe
y
 
pro
t
 
seemed
hi
s
usua
l
relaxe
d
self
.
H
e
marche
d
 
righ
t
 
int
o
 
m
y
examinin
g
 
room
,
 
looke
d
 
aroun
d
 
fo
r
 
hi
s
 
baske
t
 
o
f
 
fruit
.
 
I switche
d
o
n
m
y
backu
p
tap
e
recorde
r
an
d
checke
d
 
t
o
 
se
e
 
tha
t
 
i
t
 
wa
s
 
workin
g
 
properly
.
 
"We'l
l
 
hav
e
 
the
frui
t
a
t
th
e
en
d
o
f
today'
s
session
,
i
f
yo
u
don'
t
object."

"Oh
.
Ver
y
well
.
An
d
th
e
to
p
o
'
th
e
afternoo
n
t
o
ye."

"Si
t
down
,
si
t
down."

"Thanke
e
kindly
,
sir."

"How'
s
you
r
repor
t
coming?"

"I'l
l
hav
e
i
t
finishe
d
b
y
th
e
tim
e
I
leave."

"Ma
y
I
se
e
i
t
befor
e
yo
u
go?"

"Whe
n
it'
s
finished
.
Bu
t
I
doub
t
you'
d
b
e
interested."

"Believ
e
me
,
I
woul
d
lik
e
t
o
se
e
i
t
a
s
soo
n
a
s
possible
.
An
d
th
e
question
s
fo
r
Dr
.
Flynn?"

"Ther
e
ar
e
onl
y
s
o
man
y
hour
s
i
n
a
day
,
gino
,
eve
n
fo
r
a
K-PAXian."

"Ar
e
yo
u
stil
l
plannin
g
t
o
retur
n
t
o
you
r
hom
e
plane
t
o
n
th
e
seventeenth?"

"
I
must."

"That'
s
onl
y
thirty-eigh
t
hour
s
fro
m
now."

"You'r
e
ver
y
quic
k
today
,
doctor."

"An
d
Rober
t
i
s
goin
g
wit
h
you?"

"
I
don'
t
know."

"Wh
y
not?"

"He'
s
stil
l
no
t
talkin
g
t
o
me."

"An
d
i
f
h
e
decide
s
no
t
t
o
accompan
y
you?"

"The
n
ther
e
woul
d
b
e
roo
m
fo
r
someon
e
else
.
Yo
u
wan
t
t
o
go?
"
-

"
I
thin
k
I'
d
lik
e
tha
t
som
e
day
.
Righ
t
no
w
I'v
e
go
t
a
lo
t
o
f
thing
s
t
o
d
o
here."

"
I
though
t
you'
d
sa
y
that."

"Tel
l
me-ho
w
di
d
yo
u
kno
w
tha
t
Rober
t
migh
t
wan
t
 
t
o
 
g
o
 
bac
k
 
wit
h
 
yo
u
 
whe
n
 
yo
u
 
arrive
d
 
o
n
 
Earth
fiv
e
year
s
ago?"

"Jus
t
a
hunch
.
I
ha
d
a
feelin
g
h
e
wishe
d
t
o
depar
t
thi
s
world."

"Wha
t
woul
d
happe
n
exactl
y
i
f
neithe
r
o
f
yo
u
wen
t
bac
k
o
n
tha
t
date?"

"Nothing
.
Excep
t
tha
t
i
f
w
e
didn'
t
g
o
bac
k
then
,
w
e
neve
r
could."

"Woul
d
tha
t
b
e
s
o
terrible?"

"Woul
d
yo
u
wan
t
t
o
sta
y
her
e
i
f
yo
u
coul
d
g
o
hom
e
t
o
K-PAX?"

"Couldn'
t
yo
u
jus
t
sen
d
a
messag
e
tha
t
you'r
e
goin
g
t
o
b
e
delaye
d
fo
r
a
while?"

"I
t
doesn'
t
wor
k
tha
t
way
.
Owin
g
t
o
th
e
natur
e
o
f
ligh
t
..
.
Well
,
it'
s
a
lon
g
story."

"Ther
e
ar
e
plent
y
o
f
reason
s
fo
r
yo
u
t
o
stay."

"You'r
e
 
wastin
g
 
you
r
 
time,
"
 
h
e
 
said
,
 
yawning
.
 
I
 
ha
d
 
bee
n
 
tol
d
 
tha
t
 
h
e
 
hadn'
t
 
slep
t
 
fo
r
 
th
e
 
las
t
 
three
days
,
preferrin
g
instea
d
t
o
wor
k
o
n
hi
s
report.

Th
e
momen
t
ha
d
com
e
fo
r
m
y
las
t
desperat
e
shot
.
I
wondere
d
whethe
r
Freu
d
ha
d
 
eve
r
 
trie
d
 
this
.
 
"In
tha
t
case
,
I
wonde
r
i
f
you'
d
car
e
t
o
joi
n
m
e
i
n
a
drink?"

"I
f
that'
s
you
r
custom,
"
h
e
sai
d
wit
h
a
n
enigmati
c
smile
.
"Somethin
g
fruity
,
I
suppose?"

"Ar
e
yo
u
insinuatin
g
tha
t
I'
m
a
fruit?"

"No
t
a
t
all."

"Jus
t
kidding
,
doc
.
I'l
l
hav
e
whateve
r
you'r
e
having."