K-Pax (29 page)
"Tel
l
m
e
abou
t
it,
"
h
e
replied.
I
t
too
k
hi
m
onl
y
a
fe
w
minutes
.
Whil
e
h
e
wa
s
sketchin
g
I
mentione
d
tha
t
a
n
astronome
r
I
kne
w
had
informe
d
m
e
tha
t
ligh
t
trave
l
wa
s
theoreticall
y
impossible
.
H
e
stoppe
d
wha
t
h
e
wa
s
doin
g
an
d
smile
d
at
m
e
tolerantly
.
"Hav
e
yo
u
eve
r
studie
d
you
r
EART
H
history?
"
h
e
asked
.
"Ca
n
yo
u
thin
k
o
f
a
singl
e
new ide
a
whic
h
al
l
th
e
expert
s
i
n
th
e
fiel
d
di
d
no
t
labe
l
`impossible'?"
H
e
returne
d
t
o
hi
s
diagram
.
A
s
h
e
dre
w
h
e
seeme
d
t
o
focu
s
o
n
th
e
ceiling
,
bu
t
perhap
s
hi
s
eye
s
were closed
.
I
n
an
y
cas
e
h
e
pai
d
n
o
attentio
n
t
o
th
e
ma
p
h
e
wa
s
workin
g
on
.
I
t
wa
s
a
s
i
f
h
e
wer
e
simply
copyin
g
i
t
fro
m
a
n
interna
l
pictur
e
o
r
screen
.
Thi
s
wa
s
th
e
result:
Ther
e
ar
e
severa
l
notabl
e
feature
s
abou
t
hi
s
sketch
:
a
"constellation
"
shape
d
lik
e
a
n
N
(uppe
r
right),
anothe
r
lik
e
a
questio
n
mar
k
(lowe
r
left)
,
a
"smilin
g
mouth
"
(lowe
r
right)
,
an
d
a
n
enormou
s
eye-shaped
cluste
r
o
f
star
s
(uppe
r
left)
.
Not
e
tha
t
h
e
als
o
indicate
d
th
e
locatio
n
o
f
th
e
invisibl
e
Eart
h
o
n
hi
s
chart
(center)
.
Th
e
reaso
n
fo
r
th
e
relativel
y
fe
w
backgroun
d
star
s
i
n
th
e
diagra
m
was
,
accordin
g
t
o
prot
,
tha
t
it
neve
r
go
t
completel
y
dar
k
o
n
K-PAX
,
s
o
ther
e
ar
e
fewe
r
star
s
visibl
e
i
n
th
e
sk
y
tha
n
on
e
ca
n
ordinarily
see
,
i
n
rura
l
areas
,
fro
m
th
e
nighttim
e
Earth.
However
,
i
t
wa
s
clea
r
tha
t
prot'
s
an
d
Steve'
s
chart
s
wer
e
completel
y
different
.
Althoug
h
not
surprise
d
t
o
fin
d
tha
t
m
y
"savant
"
ha
d
hi
s
limit
s
I
was
,
nonetheless
,
somewha
t
disappointed
.
I
a
m
aware
tha
t
thi
s
i
s
no
t
a
ver
y
scientifi
c
attitude
,
an
d
I
ca
n
onl
y
attribut
e
i
t
t
o
th
e
post-midlife-crisi
s
syndrom
e
first
describe
d
b
y
E
.
L
.
Brow
n
i
n
1959
,
somethin
g
tha
t
occur
s
mos
t
ofte
n
i
n
me
n
wh
o
hav
e
entere
d
their
fifties
:
a
curiou
s
desir
e
fo
r
somethin
g
interestin
g
t
o
happe
n
t
o
them.
B
e
tha
t
a
s
i
t
may
,
a
t
leas
t
I
woul
d
no
w
b
e
abl
e
t
o
confron
t
th
e
patien
t
wit
h
thi
s
contradictory
evidence
,
whic
h
would
,
I
hoped
,
hel
p
t
o
convinc
e
hi
m
o
f
hi
s
Earthl
y
origin
.
Bu
t
tha
t
woul
d
hav
e
t
o
wait
unti
l
th
e
nex
t
session
.
Ou
r
tim
e
wa
s
up
,
an
d
Mrs
.
Trexle
r
wa
s
impatientl
y
flashin
g
m
e
a
telephon
e
signal
t
o
remin
d
m
e
o
f
a
safet
y
committe
e
meeting.
ACCORDIN
G
t
o
m
y
note
s
th
e
plac
e
wa
s
a
zo
o
th
e
res
t
o
f
th
e
afternoo
n
wit
h
meetings
,
a
problem
wit
h
severa
l
o
f
th
e
photocop
y
machines
,
Mrs
.
Trexle
r
a
t
th
e
dentist
,
an
d
a
semina
r
b
y
on
e
o
f
the
candidate
s
fo
r
th
e
positio
n
o
f
permanen
t
director
.
Bu
t
I
di
d
fin
d
tim
e
t
o
fa
x
prot'
s
sta
r
ma
p
t
o
Steve
befor
e
escortin
g
th
e
applican
t
t
o
dinner.
