K-Pax (51 page)
"It'
s
no
t
possibl
e
t
o
tes
t
tha
t
hypothesis
,
no."
"The
n
ho
w
ca
n
yo
u
b
e
sur
e
you
r
hypothesi
s
i
s
right
?
O
r
an
y
o
f
you
r
othe
r
theories?"
"I'
m
here
,
ain'
t
I?"
A
n
ide
a
suddenl
y
occurre
d
t
o
me
.
"I'
m
gla
d
yo
u
brough
t
tha
t
up
.
There'
s
on
e
thin
g
yo
u
coul
d
d
o
for
m
e
tha
t
woul
d
eras
e
an
y
doubt
s
I
migh
t
hav
e
abou
t
you
r
story
.
D
o
yo
u
kno
w
wha
t
I'
m
suggesting?"
"
I
wa
s
wonderin
g
whe
n
tha
t
woul
d
occu
r
t
o
you.
"
H
e
scribble
d
somethin
g
i
n
hi
s
notebook.
"Whe
n
coul
d
yo
u
giv
e
m
e
a
littl
e
demonstration?"
"Ho
w
abou
t
righ
t
now?"
"Tha
t
woul
d
b
e
quit
e
acceptable."
"Shalom,
"
h
e
said
.
"Aloha.
"
Bu
t
o
f
cours
e
h
e
jus
t
sa
t
ther
e
grinnin
g
a
t
m
e
lik
e
a
Cheshir
e
cat.
"Well?"
"Wel
l
what?"
"Whe
n
ar
e
yo
u
going?"
"I'
m
alread
y
back."
I'
d
bee
n
take
n
i
n
b
y
th
e
ol
d
"fastes
t
gu
n
i
n
th
e
West
"
routine
.
"
I
wa
s
hopin
g
yo
u
woul
d
sta
y
away
lon
g
enoug
h
tha
t
I
migh
t
notic
e
you
r
absence."
"Yo
u
wil
l
nex
t
wee
k
whe
n
I
leav
e
fo
r
canada
,
iceland
,
an
d
greenland."
"Nex
t
week
?
I
see
.
An
d
ho
w
lon
g
wil
l
yo
u
b
e
gone?"
"
A
fe
w
days.
"
Whil
e
I
wa
s
jottin
g
dow
n
th
e
suggestio
n
tha
t
w
e
increas
e
th
e
surveillanc
e
o
n
him
,
he exclaimed
,
"Well
,
I
se
e
ou
r
tim
e
i
s
up
,
an
d
gunna
r
an
d
roma
n
ar
e
waiting!"
I
wa
s
stil
l
writing
,
bu
t
I
vaguel
y
recalle
d
tha
t
th
e
cloc
k
wa
s
positione
d
i
n
suc
h
a
wa
y
tha
t
pro
t
couldn't
possibl
y
hav
e
see
n
it
.
An
d
wh
o
tol
d
hi
m
tha
t
Jense
n
an
d
Kowalsk
i
wer
e
standin
g
by
?
I
mumbled,
"Shouldn'
t
I
decid
e
that?
"
Bu
t
whe
n
I
looke
d
u
p
h
e
wa
s
alread
y
gone.
I
rewoun
d
th
e
las
t
par
t
o
f
th
e
tap
e
an
d
switche
d
i
t
on
.
Hi
s
assertion
,
i
n
a
thick
,
choke
d
voice
,
tha
t
he
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
hav
e
t
o
repea
t
hi
s
mistake
s
ove
r
an
d
ove
r
fo
r
al
l
tim
e
suddenl
y
seeme
d
ver
y
moving
,
an
d
I
wondere
d
again
:
Wha
t
i
n
God'
s
nam
e
ha
d
h
e
done
?
Unles
s
I
coul
d
fin
d
som
e
wa
y
t
o
brea
k
throug
h
his
amnesi
a
armo
r
i
t
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
b
e
ver
y
difficul
t
t
o
fin
d
out
.
I
n
th
e
absenc
e
o
f
som
e
clu
e
t
o
hi
s
background
I
wa
s
literall
y
workin
g
i
n
th
e
dark
.
Give
n
enoug
h
tim
e
I
migh
t
hav
e
bee
n
abl
e
t
o
com
e
u
p
wit
h
suc
h
a
lead
,
an
d
I
dearl
y
wishe
d
I
coul
d
increas
e
th
e
numbe
r
o
f
session
s
t
o
twic
e
a
wee
k
o
r
eve
n
more
,
bu
t
I
simpl
y
ha
d
n
o
extr
a
time
.
Ther
e
jus
t
wasn'
t
enoug
h
time.
A
coupl
e
o
f
day
s
later
,
afte
r
returnin
g
fro
m
m
y
Frida
y
mornin
g
radi
o
tal
k
sho
w
wher
e
I
answer
genera
l
question
s
abou
t
menta
l
healt
h
calle
d
i
n
b
y
th
e
listenin
g
audience
,
I
discovere
d
tha
t
pro
t
had
assigne
d
a
secon
d
tas
k
t
o
Howie
.
Th
e
assignment
:
t
o
cur
e
Erni
e
o
f
hi
s
fea
r
o
f
death.
