K-Pax (15 page)
"No
t
exactly."
"Well
,
wh
o
too
k
car
e
o
f
you
?
Tucke
d
yo
u
int
o
be
d
a
t
night?"
Utterl
y
exasperated
:
"N
o
on
e
'tuck
s
yo
u
int
o
bed
'
o
n
KPAX
.
Whe
n
yo
u
ar
e
sleepy
,
yo
u
sleep
.
When
yo
u
ar
e
hungry
,
yo
u
eat."
"Wh
o
feed
s
you?"
"N
o
one
.
Foo
d
i
s
alway
s
around."
"A
t
wha
t
ag
e
di
d
yo
u
begi
n
school?"
"Ther
e
ar
e
n
o
school
s
o
n
K-PAX."
"I'
m
no
t
surprised
.
Bu
t
yo
u
ar
e
obviousl
y
a
n
educate
d
person."
"
I
a
m
no
t
a
'person.
'
I
a
m
a
being
.
Al
l
K-PAXian
s
ar
e
educated
.
Bu
t
educatio
n
doe
s
no
t
com
e
from
schools
.
Educatio
n
stem
s
fro
m
th
e
desir
e
t
o
learn
.
Wit
h
that
,
yo
u
don'
t
nee
d
schools
.
Withou
t
it
,
al
l
the
school
s
i
n
th
e
UNIVERS
E
ar
e
useless."
"Bu
t
ho
w
di
d
yo
u
learn
?
Ar
e
ther
e
teachers?"
"O
n
K-PAX
,
everyon
e
i
s
a
teacher
.
I
f
yo
u
hav
e
a
question
,
yo
u
jus
t
as
k
whoeve
r
i
s
around
.
An
d
of
cours
e
ther
e
ar
e
th
e
libraries."
"Libraries
?
Wh
o
run
s
th
e
libraries?"
"Gene
,
gene
,
gene
.
N
o
on
e
does
.
Everyon
e
does."
"Ar
e
thes
e
librarie
s
structure
s
w
e
Eart
h
peopl
e
woul
d
recognize?"
"Probably
.
Ther
e
ar
e
book
s
there
.
Bu
t
man
y
othe
r
thing
s
a
s
well
.
Thing
s
yo
u
woul
d
no
t
recogniz
e
or
understand."
"Wher
e
ar
e
thes
e
libraries
?
Doe
s
eac
h
cit
y
hav
e
one?"
"Yes
,
bu
t
ou
r
`cities
'
ar
e
mor
e
lik
e
wha
t
yo
u
woul
d
cal
l
`villages.
'
W
e
hav
e
n
o
vas
t
metropolise
s
such a
s
th
e
on
e
i
n
whic
h
w
e
ar
e
presentl
y
located."
"Doe
s
K-PA
X
hav
e
a
capital?"
"No"
"Ho
w
d
o
yo
u
ge
t
fro
m
on
e
villag
e
t
o
another
?
Ar
e
ther
e
trains
?
Cars
?
Airplanes?"
A
dee
p
sig
h
wa
s
followe
d
b
y
som
e
incoheren
t
mumblin
g
i
n
a
languag
e
I
couldn'
t
understan
d
(later
identifie
d
a
s
"pax-o")
.
H
e
mad
e
anothe
r
entr
y
i
n
hi
s
notebook
:
"I'v
e
alread
y
explaine
d
this
,
gino
.
W
e
get
fro
m
plac
e
t
o
plac
e
o
n
th
e
energ
y
o
f
light
.
Wh
y
d
o
yo
u
fin
d
thi
s
concep
t
s
o
har
d
t
o
understand
?
I
s
i
t
too
simpl
e
fo
r
you?
W
e
ha
d
bee
n
ove
r
thi
s
befor
e
and
,
wit
h
tim
e
runnin
g
out
,
I
di
d
no
t
inten
d
t
o
b
e
sidetracke
d
again.
"On
e
fina
l
question
.
Yo
u
hav
e
sai
d
tha
t
you
r
childhoo
d
wa
s
a
happ
y
one
.
Di
d
yo
u
hav
e
othe
r
childre
n
to
pla
y
with?"
"Hardl
y
any
.
Ther
e
ar
e
ver
y
fe
w
childre
n
anywher
e
o
n
K-PAX
,
a
s
I
hav
e
indicated
.
Beside
s
that,
ther
e
i
s
n
o
distinctio
n
betwee
n
'work
'
an
d
'play
'
o
n
ou
r
PLANET
.
O
n
EARTH
,
childre
n
ar
e
encouraged
t
o
pla
y
al
l
th
e
time
.
Thi
s
i
s
becaus
e
yo
u
believ
e
the
y
shoul
d
remai
n
innocen
t
o
f
thei
r
approaching adulthood
,
fo
r
a
s
lon
g
a
s
possible
,
apparentl
y
becaus
e
th
e
latte
r
i
s
s
o
distasteful
.
O
n
K-PAX
,
children an
d
adult
s
ar
e
al
l
par
t
o
f
th
e
sam
e
thing
.
O
n
ou
r
PLANE
T
lif
e
i
s
fun
,
an
d
interesting
.
Ther
e
i
s
n
o
nee
d
for
mindles
s
games
,
eithe
r
fo
r
childre
n
o
r
adults
.
N
o
nee
d
fo
r
escap
e
int
o
soa
p
operas
,
football
,
alcohol
,
or
othe
r
drugs
.
Di
d
I
hav
e
a
happ
y
childhoo
d
o
n
K-PAX
?
O
f
course
.
An
d
a
happ
y
adulthoo
d
a
s
well."
