K-Pax (20 page)
A
s
soo
n
a
s
hi
s
physica
l
healt
h
wa
s
restored
,
however
,
h
e
wa
s
of
f
an
d
runnin
g
again
,
an
d
no
tranquilizin
g
dru
g
ha
s
prove
n
powerfu
l
enoug
h
t
o
slo
w
dow
n
hi
s
endles
s
ques
t
fo
r
perfection.
Th
e
strai
n
o
n
Howi
e
i
s
terrible
.
Th
e
circle
s
an
d
bag
s
unde
r
hi
s
eye
s
attes
t
t
o
hi
s
chroni
c
battl
e
with
fatigue
,
an
d
h
e
suffer
s
constantl
y
fro
m
cold
s
an
d
othe
r
mino
r
afflictions.
Wha
t
happene
d
t
o
him
?
Wh
y
doe
s
on
e
artis
t
en
d
u
p
a
t
Carnegi
e
Hal
l
an
d
anothe
r
i
n
a
mental
hospital
?
Howie'
s
fathe
r
wa
s
a
ver
y
demandin
g
man
,
intoleran
t
o
f
mistakes
.
Whe
n
littl
e
Howi
e
stoo
d
up
t
o
pla
y
th
e
violi
n
h
e
wa
s
terrifie
d
o
f
makin
g
th
e
slightes
t
fals
e
not
e
an
d
offendin
g
hi
s
father
,
who
m
he love
d
deeply
.
Bu
t
th
e
bette
r
h
e
becam
e
th
e
mor
e
h
e
realize
d
ho
w
muc
h
h
e
di
d
no
t
know
,
an
d
ho
w
much
mor
e
roo
m
fo
r
erro
r
ther
e
wa
s
tha
n
h
e
ha
d
imagined
.
I
n
orde
r
t
o
b
e
certai
n
o
f
playin
g
hi
s
instrument
perfectl
y
h
e
thre
w
himsel
f
int
o
musi
c
i
n
al
l
it
s
aspects
,
tryin
g
t
o
lear
n
everythin
g
abou
t
th
e
subject
.
When
h
e
realize
d
tha
t
eve
n
thi
s
woul
d
no
t
b
e
sufficient
,
h
e
too
k
u
p
othe
r
field
s
o
f
stud
y
wit
h
th
e
impossibl
e
goal
o
f
learnin
g
everythin
g
ther
e
wa
s
t
o
kno
w
abou
t
everything.
Bu
t
eve
n
tha
t
isn'
t
enoug
h
fo
r
Howie
,
wh
o
spend
s
eac
h
summe
r
catalogin
g
th
e
bird
s
an
d
insect
s
and
countin
g
th
e
blade
s
o
f
gras
s
o
n
th
e
law
n
outside
.
I
n
th
e
winte
r
h
e
catche
s
snowflakes
,
systematically
recordin
g
an
d
comparin
g
thei
r
structures
.
O
n
clea
r
night
s
h
e
scan
s
th
e
skie
s
lookin
g
fo
r
anomalies,
somethin
g
tha
t
wasn'
t
ther
e
before
.
Ye
t
thes
e
ar
e
mer
e
avocation
s
fo
r
Howie
.
Mos
t
o
f
th
e
tim
e
h
e
reads
dictionarie
s
an
d
encyclopedia
s
whil
e
listenin
g
t
o
musi
c
o
r
languag
e
tapes
.
Afrai
d
h
e
wil
l
forge
t
something
importan
t
h
e
i
s
constantl
y
takin
g
note
s
an
d
makin
g
lists
,
the
n
organizin
g
an
d
reorganizin
g
them
.
Unti
l
that
da
y
i
n
th
e
recreatio
n
roo
m
I
ha
d
neve
r
see
n
hi
m
whe
n
h
e
wa
s
no
t
franticall
y
counting
,
recording
,
or
studying
.
I
t
wa
s
a
struggl
e
t
o
ge
t
hi
m
t
o
tak
e
tim
e
t
o
eat.
I
edge
d
u
p
t
o
th
e
tabl
e
wit
h
m
y
guest
,
tryin
g
t
o
catc
h
a
bi
t
o
f
th
e
conversatio
n
withou
t
scarin
g
anyone
off
.
Fro
m
wha
t
I
coul
d
gather
,
the
y
wer
e
queryin
g
pro
t
abou
t
lif
e
o
n
K-PAX
.
The
y
clamme
d
u
p
when
the
y
finall
y
notice
d
us
,
however
,
an
d
bot
h
Erni
e
an
d
Howi
e
scuttle
d
away.
I
introduce
d
pro
t
t
o
ou
r
visitor
,
an
d
too
k
th
e
opportunit
y
t
o
as
k
hi
m
whethe
r
h
e
woul
d
mind submittin
g
t
o
a
fe
w
additiona
l
test
s
o
n
Wednesday
,
ou
r
regula
r
meetin
g
day
.
H
e
no
t
onl
y
didn'
t
mind
,
he
said
,
bu
t
h
e
looke
d
forwar
d
t
o
it
.
W
e
lef
t
hi
m
smilin
g
broadly
,
apparentl
y
i
n
eage
r
anticipation.
