K-Pax (117 page)
H
e
the
n
returne
d
t
o
th
e
house
,
carrie
d
hi
s
wif
e
an
d
daughte
r
t
o
thei
r
bedrooms
,
covere
d
the
m
with
blankets
,
washe
d
an
d
drie
d
thei
r
swimsuit
s
an
d
pu
t
the
m
away
,
moppe
d
th
e
blood
y
floor
,
and
,
after
sayin
g
hi
s
fina
l
farewells
,
mad
e
hi
s
wa
y
t
o
th
e
nearb
y
river
,
wher
e
h
e
too
k
of
f
hi
s
clothe
s
an
d
jumpe
d
in,
a
n
apparen
t
suicid
e
attempt
.
Althoug
h
hi
s
bod
y
wa
s
neve
r
found
,
th
e
polic
e
conclude
d
tha
t
h
e
ha
d
died
b
y
drowning
,
th
e
cas
e
wa
s
officiall
y
closed
,
an
d
tha
t
i
s
ho
w
th
e
repor
t
wen
t
int
o
th
e
files.
H
e
mus
t
hav
e
com
e
ashor
e
somewher
e
downstream
,
an
d
fro
m
tha
t
poin
t
o
n
h
e
wa
s
n
o
longer
Robert
,
bu
t
"prot
"
(derived
,
presumably
,
fro
m
"Porter")
,
wh
o
wandere
d
aroun
d
th
e
countr
y
fo
r
fou
r
and
a
hal
f
year
s
befor
e
bein
g
picke
d
u
p
a
t
th
e
bu
s
termina
l
i
n
Ne
w
Yor
k
City
.
Ho
w
h
e
live
d
durin
g
that perio
d
i
s
a
complet
e
mystery
,
bu
t
I
suspec
t
h
e
spen
t
a
lo
t
o
f
tim
e
i
n
publi
c
librarie
s
studyin
g
the geograph
y
an
d
language
s
o
f
th
e
countrie
s
o
f
th
e
world
,
i
n
lie
u
o
f
actuall
y
visitin
g
them
.
H
e
probabl
y
slept ther
e
a
s
well
,
thoug
h
ho
w
h
e
foun
d
foo
d
an
d
clothin
g
i
s
anybody'
s
guess.
Bu
t
wh
o
wa
s
prot
?
An
d
wher
e
di
d
hi
s
bizarr
e
ide
a
o
f
a
worl
d
withou
t
government
,
withou
t
money
,
sex,
o
r
lov
e
com
e
from
?
I
submi
t
tha
t
someho
w
thi
s
secondar
y
personalit
y
wa
s
abl
e
t
o
utiliz
e
area
s
or
function
s
o
f
th
e
brai
n
tha
t
th
e
res
t
o
f
us
,
except
,
perhaps
,
thos
e
afflicte
d
wit
h
savan
t
syndrom
e
an
d
certain othe
r
disorders
,
cannot
.
Give
n
tha
t
ability
,
h
e
mus
t
hav
e
spen
t
muc
h
o
f
hi
s
tim
e
developin
g
hi
s
concep
t
of
a
n
idylli
c
worl
d
wher
e
al
l
th
e
event
s
tha
t
ha
d
accumulate
d
t
o
rui
n
hi
s
"friend
"
Robert'
s
lif
e
o
n
Eart
h
could
no
t
happen
.
Hi
s
visio
n
o
f
thi
s
utopia
n
existenc
e
wa
s
s
o
intens
e
an
d
s
o
complet
e
that
,
ove
r
th
e
years
,
he
imagine
d
i
t
dow
n
t
o
th
e
mos
t
minut
e
detail
,
an
d
i
n
a
languag
e
o
f
hi
s
ow
n
creation
.
H
e
eve
n
divined, somehow
,
th
e
natur
e
o
f
it
s
paren
t
sun
s
an
d
th
e
patter
n
o
f
star
s
i
n
th
e
immediat
e
vicinity
,
a
s
wel
l
a
s
those
o
f
severa
l
othe
r
planet
s
h
e
claime
d
t
o
hav
e
visite
d
(al
l
th
e
dat
a
h
e
provide
d
t
o
Dr
.
Flyn
n
an
d
his
associate
s
hav
e
prove
n
t
o
b
e
completel
y
accurate).
Hi
s
idea
l
worl
d
ha
d
t
o
b
e
on
e
i
n
whic
h
father
s
don'
t
di
e
whil
e
thei
r
childre
n
ar
e
growin
g
up
.
prot
solved-thi
s
proble
m
i
n
tw
o
ways
:
A
K-PAXia
n
chil
d
rarely
,
i
f
ever
,
see
s
hi
s
parents
,
o
r
eve
n
know
s
who
the
y
are
;
a
t
th
e
sam
e
time
,
h
e
i
s
comforte
d
b
y
th
e
knowledg
e
tha
t
the
y
wil
l
probabl
y
liv
e
t
o
b
e
a
