K-Pax (40 page)
"departur
e
date.
"
Augus
t
seventeent
h
wa
s
onl
y
tw
o
month
s
away
.
Wha
t
di
d
i
t
mean
?
I
t
woul
d
b
e
like
Russell'
s
sayin
g
tha
t
o
n
such-and-suc
h
a
da
y
h
e
woul
d
b
e
returnin
g
t
o
heaven
.
Bu
t
i
n
al
l
th
e
year
s
h
e
had
bee
n
wit
h
u
s
Russel
l
ha
s
neve
r
announce
d
a
dat
e
fo
r
tha
t
journe
y
and
,
t
o
m
y
knowledge
,
neithe
r
ha
s
any
othe
r
delusional
.
I
t
wa
s
totall
y
unprecedente
d
i
n
th
e
annal
s
o
f
psychiatry
.
An
d
sinc
e
i
t
wa
s
patently
impossibl
e
fo
r
pro
t
t
o
trave
l
t
o
K-PAX
,
o
r
anywher
e
else
,
wha
t
woul
d
happe
n
t
o
hi
m
o
n
tha
t
day?
Woul
d
h
e
withdra
w
completel
y
int
o
hi
s
amnesiaca
l
armor
?
Th
e
onl
y
possibl
e
wa
y
I
coul
d
se
e
t
o
prevent
tha
t
fro
m
happenin
g
woul
d
b
e
t
o
fin
d
ou
t
wh
o
thi
s
ma
n
reall
y
wa
s
an
d
wher
e
h
e
ha
d
com
e
fro
m
befor
e
it
wa
s
to
o
late.
Bu
t
suddenl
y
i
t
occurre
d
t
o
m
e
tha
t
Augus
t
seventeent
h
woul
d
hav
e
bee
n
th
e
approximat
e
dat
e
that
pro
t
claime
d
h
e
ha
d
arrive
d
o
n
Eart
h
nearl
y
fiv
e
year
s
earlier
.
Wit
h
thi
s
i
n
min
d
I
aske
d
Mrs
.
Trexle
r
to
pu
t
i
n
a
cal
l
t
o
th
e
precinc
t
wher
e
h
e
ha
d
bee
n
brough
t
i
n
originally
,
a
s
indicate
d
o
n
hi
s
admission
records
,
t
o
reques
t
tha
t
the
y
chec
k
whethe
r
anyon
e
answerin
g
hi
s
descriptio
n
ha
d
disappeare
d
o
n
or
abou
t
tha
t
particula
r
date
.
An
d
t
o
infor
m
the
m
o
f
prot'
s
possibl
e
visi
t
t
o
Alabam
a
i
n
October
.
Sh
e
came
i
n
late
r
wit
h
a
batc
h
o
f
letter
s
fo
r
m
e
t
o
sign
,
an
d
mentione
d
tha
t
th
e
polic
e
ha
d
promise
d
t
o
le
t
u
s
kno
w
if
anythin
g
turne
d
up
.
"Bu
t
don'
t
hol
d
you
r
breath,
"
sh
e
snorted.
W
E
fin
d
ou
t
a
lo
t
abou
t
ou
r
patient
s
no
t
onl
y
fro
m
th
e
nursin
g
staf
f
bu
t
als
o
fro
m
th
e
othe
r
inmates,
wh
o
lov
e
t
o
tal
k
abou
t
on
e
another
.
Thu
s
i
t
wa
s
fro
m
hi
s
roommat
e
Erni
e
tha
t
I
firs
t
learne
d
tha
t
Howie
ha
d
becom
e
a
n
entirel
y
differen
t
person-cheerful
,
eve
n
relaxed
!
I
wen
t
t
o
se
e
fo
r
myself.
Erni
e
wa
s
right
.
O
n
a
coo
l
Thursda
y
afternoo
n
I
foun
d
hi
m
calml
y
sittin
g
i
n
th
e
wid
e
sil
l
o
f
the
second-floo
r
loung
e
gazin
g
ou
t
th
e
windo
w
towar
d
th
e
sky
.
N
o
dictionaries
,
n
o
encyclopedias
,
no
countin
g
th
e
thread
s
i
n
th
e
bi
g
gree
n
carpet
.
Hi
s
glasses
,
whos
e
lense
s
wer
e
usuall
y
fogge
d
wit
h
grime,
ha
d
bee
n
cleaned.
I
requeste
d
permissio
n
t
o
si
t
dow
n
wit
h
him
,
an
d
struc
k
u
p
a
casua
l
conversatio
n
pertainin
g
t
o
the
flower
s
linin
g
th
e
hig
h
wal
l
o
n
th
e
othe
r
sid
e
o
f
th
e
lawn
.
H
e
wa
s
happ
y
t
o
produce
,
a
s
h
e
ha
d
man
y
times
i
n
th
e
past
,
th
e
commo
n
an
d
Lati
n
name
s
o
f
eac
h
o
f
them
,
somethin
g
o
f
thei
r
geneti
c
history
,
nutritional
value
,
medica
l
an
d
industria
l
uses
.
Bu
t
h
e
neve
r
too
k
hi
s
eye
s
fro
m
th
e
dar
k
gra
y
sky
.
H
e
seeme
d
t
o
be
lookin
g
fo
r
something-scannin
g
wa
s
th
e
wor
d
tha
t
cam
e
t
o
mind
.
I
aske
d
hi
m
wha
t
i
t
was.
